ICC Womens World Cup, 2017 semi finals was Mithali Raj & Co’s one of the biggest hurdles of their campaign as they were going head-to-head with a team that demolished them during the group stages and it was no other than the Defending Champions, Australia.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Indian team found themselves on the backfoot as they losing two quick wickets in the first ten overs. However, Mithali Raj (36), as expected, and Harmanpreet Kaur led the team’s revival with a 66 run partnership.
Mithali Raj, unfortunately, lost her wicket at a crucial stage in the 25th over with 101 runs on the board. It was a next-to-impossible task to get a defendable total on the board but Harmanpreet Kaur was up to the task.
She played the innings of her lifetime as she decimated Australian bowlers by smashing them all around the park. Her unbeaten 171-runs stand off 115 balls was one of the greatest ever innings in ICC World Cup Knockout stages, with 20 fours and 5 sixes.
With the match being reduced to 42 overs due to rain, Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 171-runs stand helped India register a massive total of 281 runs with the loss of 4 wickets.
In the second innings, Ellyse Perry (38), Elyse Villani (75) and Alex Blackwell (90) gave hope to the Australian squad but the lower order failed to capitalize and collapsed at just 245 runs with 11 balls still remaining. The Defending Champion’s decimation in the second innings was led by Jhulan Goswami (8-35-2), Shikha Pandey (6-17-2) and Deepti Sharma (7.1-59-3).
Here are some records that completely highlights India’s dominance in ICC Womens World Cup, 2017 semifinals.
- Mithali Raj becomes the first Indian captain (both men and women) to lead the squad to two ODI World Cup finals.
- After the ICC Womens World Cup, 2017 semi finals victory, India Women became the first team to win against top three sides (Australia, England and New Zealand) in a single edition of Women’s World Cup.
- Deepthi Sharma is now the first under-20 player (Men/Women) to score 200 runs as well as claim 10 wickets in a single edition of an ODI World Cup.
- Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 171 is the biggest stand in Women’s World Cup knockout matches and the highest by an Indian woman against Australia.
- Harmanpreet Kaur registered the biggest personal score by any Indian (both men and women) in World Cup knockout matches. She is also the first Indian player (Men/Women) to score 150+ in an ODI knockout.
- Harmanpreet Kaur’s score of 171 runs is the highest by a cricketer (men/women) who is not an opener in ODIs knockout match.
- Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171-runs stand is the second highest score by a batswoman against Australia ODIs.
- Jhulan Goswami has taken 32 wickets in World Cups which is most by any Indian bowler followed by Diana Edulji’s 31 wickets.
- India’s score of 281 in 42 overs against Australia is the second highest total in a Women’s ODI knockout games. The previous best was Australia’s 282/4 against England in a 50-over match.
India will now face England at Lords on July 23 in the ICC Womens World Cup, 2017 final.