Australia are gunning for their seventh Women’s World Cup triumph and their first objective will be to make it to the final when they take on their Indian counterparts on Thursday. Follow all the semi-final action of the Women’s World Cup 2017 from 7:30pm AEST right here on The Roar.
Six-time winners Australia have lived up to their favourites billing by making it to the semi-finals with six wins and just one defeat under their belt but they now face a tricky opposition in India.
A look at the head to head between the two sides put the Australian women so far ahead that it’s tough to see how India will have any chance of toppling the defending champions over.
Of the 42 games played, Australia have won 34 while India have overcome their opposition in only eight matches.
That said, Australia have borne the brunt of a couple of stunning performances from India in the 2009 World Cup – a tournament Australia hosted – where they were first knocked out in the Super Six stage by the Indian side before losing to them again in the third-fourth place play-off.
Since those twin defeats, Australia went on a six-match winning spree against the Indian women and hold a 7-1 head-to-head record that includes an easy victory in the group stages of this tournament as well.
In that game, India got themselves to 226 from their 50 overs thanks to a well-compiled 106 from Punam Raut, but skipper Mithali Raj’s 69, that took 114 balls proved to be counter-effective in the final analysis.
Unbeaten fifties from skipper Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry saw Australia through in that game.
India had earlier lost to South Africa as well, which meant their final group game against New Zealand was a virtual quarter-final.
If ever there was a performance that could lift up a team going into this knock-out game, it was that win over the Kiwis – a 186-run thumping.
Much like their win over India, Australia have looked convincing throughout the tournament except when they went down to arch-rivals England in their only defeat.
A target of 260 looked beyond their reach when Lanning fell at the score of 129 in the 32nd over but spurred on by another Perry half-century, and some excellent lower-order hitting, Australia came to within three runs of the English total.
The winner of this game will take on the England Women in the title-decider.
England had earlier huffed and puffed to a narrow win over South Africa in the first semi-final on Tuesday. Chasing a total of 219 for a win, England looked to be cruising at one stage after getting to 2/139 but a string of wickets left them with a lot more to do than they would have envisaged.
In the end, they edged the Proteas aside in the final over.
Follow the live scores and blog of the second semi-final of the 2017 Women’s World Cup between Australia and India from 30pm>
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
A brilliant innings by Harmanpreet Kaur made all the difference. A knock of 171* in a 42 overs match is incredible. She has taken India to Final single-handedly.
DaniE
Roar Guru
Thanks Suneer for the fantastic blog. What a privilege to watch that game. I ended up knocking out after Lanning's duck - sounds like I missed a great ending.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
That's it from me till Australia play next - which I hope will be in their series against Bangladesh in August. Hopefully with all these contractual issues behind them. One way or the other you can catch me on Twitter and talk cricket - it's @suneerchowdhary. Later!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
India have made it to the final and how. They did not qualify for the World Cup directly, needed to go through the Qualifiers. And then needed to beat New Zealand in the final league game to qualify for the semi-final. Beat the Kiwis convincingly, beat six-time champions Australia here reasonably well and will now face England in the final. What that means is India will play England in the final - England's only defeat in the tournament had come in their first game against India, so that's a positive they will look to take to the final. As far as this game is concerned, Australia looked like they had no answer to the Harmanpreet Kaur. She was fabulous. And a lot of other such adjectives which I could use to describe that knock. Once-in-a-lifetime is the best I can come up with. Lot of comparisons with that Kapil Dev knock of 175 in the 1983 World Cup against Zimbabwe. Australia had their chances when Villani and Perry were batting but the former couldn't carry on and the latter struggled to convert her start. Blackwell provided them with some late relief and hope but it was too late by then.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! Bowled! India have won... Well played Blackwell but in the end, too much to do and the Indians have made it to their second ever final. That's a shorter, straighter one from Deepti Sharma and the pull is missed. Blackwell loses her stumps, gone for a 56-ball 90. Brilliant innings and how she would have loved some support there.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Shorter in length from Poonam Yadav and Beams is able to cut it through the covers for a single. Full-toss next ball and Blackwell moves up to 89 with a four...another boundary, muscled through wide long-on. Keeps the Aussies in, can she get another one? Next one, cut straight to the fielder before she drives it down the ground and a misfield allows Blackwell a single. 37 needed from 12.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Short from Poonam Yadav and Blacwell tries to drill it away. Gets no run. Lofts the next one but fielded well at long-on and restricted to just a single. 43 needed from 16.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Shikha Pandey, who has bowled six overs only, cannot bowl right now, because she was off the field. And that's why Poonam Yadav will need to bowl this one, the 40th of the innings.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A poor first ball from Veda to start things off. Down the leg-side and should have been smashed away for a four but just some bat on it for a couple. Blackwell retains strike. Bowls a short one next, and it's pulled to backward square-leg for a single. And now, Beams gets her cut through backward point for two more. And then a single to the leg-side. Blackwell jumps down the pitch and smashes Veda to square-leg for a four. And then a single off a mistimed stroke. 11 from the over. 44 needed from three.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Veda Krishnamurthy has the ball. She will be bowling her first over of the day. Interesting time to bring her on.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And another drilling drive but this time it goes straight to the mid-off fielder. Off the next though, there's a full-toss dished out by Goswami, attempting a yorker, and it's pulled behind square for another boundary. This is a massive innings. 75 from 45. Add one to that off the next delivery. A defensive push from Beams ends the over. 55 needed from 24. Tough but achievable.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Shot, Blackwell greets Goswami with a drill-down through mid-off for a four. Hanging in there and hitting those shots too... ...a dot off the next, hit it to the point fielder. 60 needed from 28.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Jhulan Goswami will bowl her eighth. Crucial over this.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A single and a dot to end the Gayakwad over. Australia need 64 from 30. If Beams can support Blackwell till the very end, could she...?
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Whoa, shottttt...six! ...biggie at that. An 80 meter six. Jumps down the wicket, Blackwell and smacks it for a maximum. And she makes it two in two, yep, she is really making a fist of what looked like an improbable chase. Gayakwad is struggling. 65 needed off 32.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Two dots to Beams but then Yadav sends down a long hop and it's cut away through the covers for a couple. 79 needed from 36.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
50 for Blackwell! Just 35 balls to get her landmark and she gets to it with a slog swept four. Hanging in there, fighting it out. Can she take it closer? A single off the next ball brings Beams back on strike.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Another four for Blackwell, takes her into the 40s. And then she smashes a huge six off the last ball of the Sharma over, making it 12 from the over. 9/195 in 35. 87 needed from 42.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A late cut from Kristen Beams gets her a couple, gets her off the mark and allows Blackwell to retain the strike. 99 needed from 48. Just one wicket standing.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Two fours for Blackwell. First Deepti Sharma gets a late cut to fine third-man for a four before Gayakwad gets spanked over extra-cover. And then a slog sweep down to fine-leg for three more. Blackwell's turning it on but needed more support at the other end. 101 needed from 50.