This is the first time since 2010 that India have qualified for the semi-finals of the Women's World T20. Here’s a look at the top five performances that have helped India break the eight-year-old jinx:
Guyana: Team India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated Australia by 48 runs in their last Group B encounter on Saturday and made it to the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World T20 being held in the West Indies.
India had beaten New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland in the previous matches to confirm a place in the semi-finals.
The big three of the Indian team — veteran Mithali Raj, skipper Harmanpreet and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, along with the other batters have been in sublime form throughout the tournament, which has ensured India's winning streak.
The Indian spinners have excelled too, especially in the match against Australia. Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav have given India some amazing breakthroughs.
This is the first time since 2010 that India have qualified for the semi-finals of the Women's World T20. Here’s a look at the top five performances that have helped India break the eight-year-old jinx:
After losing both the openers early in India’s first match of the tournament, skipper Harmanpreet mounted a counter-attack by smashing a 51-ball 103 to become the first Indian woman to hit the World T20 century. Her knock helped India to post 191 and eventually win the match by 34 runs.
Harmanpreet hit the second-most number (8) of sixes in a women's T20I innings and had a strike rate of 201.96, the third-highest in an innings of 50 or more in the Women's World T20.
Veteran Mithali scored 56 runs off 47 balls and didn’t take any unnecessary risks after missing an opportunity to bat in the first match against New Zealand due to the change in the batting order.
Mithali scored her runs at a rate of 119.14, and her innings was studded with seven fours. It helped India register a comfortable seven-wicket win against their arch-rivals. The senior-most member of the squad was dismissed eight runs away from victory.
Mithali’s maturity and experience helped her make a valuable 51 on a tricky wicket at Providence in Guyana. She anchored India's innings till the 19th over by hitting 51 off 56 balls, with four hits to the fence and a solitary six.
Even though the innings was on a slower side when you consider the pace of modern-day T20 cricket, Mithali's innings was just what was required and it took India to a respectable total. The Irish cricketers could only get to 93 for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs and this win helped India book a place in the semi-finals.
Indian opener Mandhana scored a 55-ball 83 at a strike rate of 150 which included nine fours and three sixes. Mandhana, who is known for her stroke-play, was aided by hapless bowling from the opposition. She finally came into her element against Australia in the final group encounter.
Mandhana continued her assault with the bat after the early loss of Taniya Bhatia, as she stepped down the pitch and used her crease to attack the bowlers. She went on to become the second-fastest Indian batter, after Mithali, to amass 1,000 T20 international runs. She continued till the 19th over despite wickets falling at the other end and her 83 took India to a total of 167/8.
Radha choked the Aussies with four overs of her bowling, in which she gave away only 13 runs at the rate of 3.25 runs per over. She also bagged the important wicket of Australian skipper Meg Lanning and Delissa Kimmince and bowled 12 dot balls during her spell.
Radha bowled from several yards behind the crease to make the deliveries slower, and with seven wickets to her name in the tournament, the Baroda all-rounder is India’s second-most successful bowler in this World T20.
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