Women’s World T20 cricket and India
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
2009-2016
The winning nations
From [ The Times of India ]
See graphic, ' Women’s World T20, 2009-2016: The winning nations '
India’s performance
India has never won the World T20 in their previous five attempts. Their best results, semi-final appearances, came in 2009 and 2010.
2018
India beat New Zealand; three records
The Indians created three world records
From: November 10, 2018: The Times of India
From: November 11, 2018: The Times of India
ICC WOMEN'S WORLD T20 WEST INDIES 2018
Harmanpreet Kaur, just like one of her idols Virender Sehwag, believes in a simple principle – see the ball, hit the ball. Her batting exploits in the 2017 50-over World Cup in England -- when she had knocked the daylights out of the Australian attack en route an epic 171 in the semifinal -- earned her the monikers of ‘Hurricane Harman’ and ‘Harmanator’.
As fans were scampering to find another moniker to put in perspective Harmapreet’s latest batting carnage, this time against the hapless New Zealand bowlers.
In India’s opening game in the ICC Women’s World T20 in Providence, Guyana, Harmanpreet tore the Kiwi attack to shreds with an explosive 51-ball 103, decorated with seven fours and an astonishing eight sixes, some of them travelling well into the stands.
The knock by India’s captain meant India reached a formidable 194/4 in their 20 overs. In the process, she also became the first Indian woman to hit a T20I hundred and the third overall in the World T20. The girl from Moga in Punjab also hit the third fastest T20I century – which came in just 49 balls – behind West Indies’ Deandra Dottin (38 balls) and England’s Tammy Beaumont (47).
The pressure of the mammoth total and some quality spin bowling by the Indians smothered New Zealand, restricting them to 160/9 as the Women in Blue triumphed by 34 runs.
Harmanpreet prospered in the company of Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored an impressive 45-ball 59 studded with seven fours. The two put on a 134-run fourth-wicket partnership in just 76 balls to propel India to a big score. The two had joined hands after India were left struggling at 40/3 in 5.4 overs following twin strikes by pacer Lea-Marie Tahuhu.
Harmanpreet began slowly, scoring just three off the first nine deliveries she faced. But, off the next 40, she smashed an astonishing 98 to reach her century, overcoming pain in her midriff during the innings. Her strokes had both power and finesse, giving the sparse crowd a glimpse of her prowess. With Rodrigues around, there was no let-up in hostility as the two Indian batswomen sent the opposition fielders on a leather-hunt.
This was India’s second highest total in T20I, coming close to 198/4 scored against the visiting England side in Mumbai in March this year.
New Zealand’s reply got off to a fine start, with experienced Suzie Bates and Anna Peterson (14) stitching a 52-run partnership for the opening wicket. However, the introduction of slow bowlers made things difficult for them. Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav’s twin strikes in the 10th over virtually scuttled the chase.
And when Bates got out for a 50-ball 67, even the faint hopes of making a comeback into the game went up in smoke.
Indian bowlers were complimented by a fine fielding effort in the middle, highlighted by Deepti Sharma’s two outstanding catches at long-on.
India beat Pakistan
Women’s Worlds: India Ease To 7-Wkt Triumph Vs Pak, November 11, 2018: The Times of India
From: Women’s Worlds: India Ease To 7-Wkt Triumph Vs Pak, November 11, 2018: The Times of India
India notched up an easy sevenwicket win over Pakistan for their second victory in two games in the World Women's T20. Needing to make a modest 134 after restricting Pakistan to 133/7, India rode on a measured 56 by veteran Mithali Raj and her 73-run opening stand with Smriti Mandhana (26) to reach the target in 19 overs.
Raj was her assured self and hit seven fours in her knock. Mandhana was also looking good before she was caught by Umaima Sohail in the deep off Maroof, yet another instance of her getting out after getting set.
Indian bowlers pinned Pakistan down for most part of their innings before allowing them to wriggle out for 133 for 7. Opting to field after winning the toss, India made a great start with the ball, reducing Pakistan to 30 for 3 in the seventh over. But Pakistan made a fine recovery thanks to half-centuries from Bismah Maroof (53) and Nida Dar (52) as the duo stitched 93 runs for the fourth wicket.
India also dropped at least three easy catches, which allowed Pakistan to make a comeback in the Group B match.
Opening bowler Arundhati Reddy gave India an early breakthrough by having Ayesha Zafar caught at the slips by Veda Krishnamurthy for nought in the first over. Pakistan could have been in a worse situation had Mandhana not dropped captain Javeria Khan in the third over. But two runouts in the space of three overs gave India the upper hand.
India beat Ireland, entered semi-finals
November 16, 2018: The Times of India
India stormed into the semifinals of the Women’s World T20 after beating Ireland by 52 runs, notching up their third win in three league games in Group B. Set to get 146 for victory, Ireland batting struggled on a slow pitch and finished at 93 for 8.
As expected, Ireland batswomen found it difficult to counter Indian spinners and could never really get going.
Earlier, India produced a below-par batting performance managing only 145 for 6, riding on a painstaking half-century from former skipper Mithali Raj, in their penultimate group league encounter. Opening the batting, Veteran Mithali (51 off 56 balls) added 67 runs in 10 overs with Smriti Mandhana (33, 29 balls) but the innings never gained required momentum on a track that remained a bit damp due to overnight showers.
The decision to bring in Jemimah Rodrigues at No 3, didn’t quite work out well as Mithali never got going despite hitting four boundaries and a six. Having effectively scored 22 off five deliveries, Mithali scored another 21 off 51 balls. Her failure to rotate the strike did affect the momentum once Mandhana was bowled by medium pacer Kim Garth, trying a wild slog. She hit four boundaries and a six.
Young Rodrigues hit three fours in his 11-ball-18 but was stumped off Laura Delany’s wide delivery when she tried to give charge. Skipper Harmanpreet hit a six but was soon dismissed. As wickets fell at one end, Mithali couldn’t shift gears at the other. She was finally out in the 19th over, deceived by a slower delivery from Garth but India’s chances of putting up a substantial total had gone up in smoke by then.
India have been on a roll here with dominating wins against New Zealand and Pakistan in the first two matches.
India beat Australia, entered -finals
MANDHANA SCRIPTS BIG WIN, November 18, 2018: The Times of India
From: MANDHANA SCRIPTS BIG WIN, November 18, 2018: The Times of India
Scores 83 As Women Beat Oz, Top Group
In a commanding performance which outlined their ambition to go all the way in the ICC Women’s World T20, India’s women beat fancied Australia by 48 runs on Saturday in their last league game to top their group with 8 points.
India were propelled by opener Smriti Mandhana’s career-best 83, which took the team to a strong 167/8 batting first, before the spinners put a stranglehold on the Australian batswomen, who managed only 119 in reply.
Off-spinners Anuja Patil (3/15) and Deepti Sharma (2/24), leggie Poonam Yadav (2/28) and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav (2/13) were instrumental in choking the free-flowing Aussies, who were hampered by a concussion injury to wicketkeeper-batswoman Alyssa Healy, who was declared ‘absent hurt’. Healy was injured after an unfortunate collision with Megan Schutt as both went for a catch following a miscued hit by Reddy. Healy then left the field as Beth Mooney took over her duties.
India’s wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia also impressed, effecting three stumpings.
Earlier, Mandhana blasted nine fours and three sixes in her 55-ball 83-run innings. She also became the second-fastest Indian woman to compete 1000 runs in T20 Internationals after Mithali Raj.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur too produced a strokeful 27-ball 43, studded with three sixes and as many fours, to share a 68-run partnership for the third wicket with Mandhana.
Mandhana gave India a good start after her fellow opening batsman Taniya Bhatia (2) was dismissed in the second over, being caught by Meg Lanning at midwicket off Ashleigh Gardner’s ball. Mandhana then stepped up and picked up a boundary each in the next two overs to keep the score ticking.
India lost to England in semi-finals
From: India Lose Eight Wickets For 24 Runs To Crash Out In Semifinals; England Face Aus In The Final, November 24, 2018: The Times of India
India’s dreams of winning a maiden global title lay in tatters after a questionable omission and an inexplicable batting collapse saw them crash to an eightwicket defeat against England in the semifinals of the Women’s World T20. Reigning ODI champions England will now meet Australia in the final after the Southern Stars beat defending champions West Indies by 72 runs.
India decided to leave their senior most player Mithali Raj, a move that will certainly be questioned, after India lost their last eight wickets for 24 runs to end up scoring a below-par 112 in 19.3 overs.
It was a walk in the park for England as seasoned campaigners Amy Jones (53 no, 47 balls) and Natalie Sciver (52 off 40 balls) added 92 runs for the unbroken third-wicket stand to finish the match in only 17.1 overs.
It was yet another story of Indian women not showing enough temperament during big match days, having lost the 50-over World Cup final to England at Lord’s last year and the Asia Cup T20 final to Bangladesh earlier this year.
As many as seven players failed to get double-digit scores and the spin attack was unable to adapt to a different surface at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium after playing all their matches at Providence in Guyana. The bold decision to drop Mithali, the highest run-getter in shortest format, may haunt the Indian team for the longest time to come as coach Ramesh Powar and captain Harmanpreet Kaur will have a lot of answering to do in the coming days.
On a track where the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat, it was the Englishwomen who came up trumps as left-arm spinners Kirstie Gordon (2/20 in 4 overs) and Sophie Ecclestone (2/22 in 3.2 overs) varied the pace of their deliveries. Skipper Heather Knight’s off-breaks also came in handy as she had the best figures of 3 for 9 in two overs.
