India and Australia - The road to the grand finale

Australia celebrating a nerve-wrenching semi-final victory ©Getty

India and Australia - The road to the grand finale

India

Beat Australia by 17 runs

There's starting a World Cup well, and then there's starting it with a victory over hosts and tournament favourites. After some Shafali Verma madness (29 off 15) at the start consolidated by Deepti Sharma's method (49 off 46) through the middle, it was Poonam Yadav's infuriatingly slow leg-break that ended Australia's fight. Poonam befuddled some of the best in the business - Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry among her spoils - with balls delivered at as low as 35 mph, derailing Australia's chase in some style.

Beat Bangladesh by 18 runs

Bangladesh put India in to bat in Perth and learned - the hard way - what the recent fuss surrounding Shafali Verma was all about. She went a step further, smashing 39 off 17. Jemimah Rodrigues played the yang to Shafali's yin, bringing stability to the table with 34 off 37 before Veda Krishnamurthy gave India a much-needed nudge with a cameo. Despite the best efforts of Murshida Khatun and Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh couldn't work their way around another devastating spell from Poonam Yadav (3 for 18 in 4 overs).

Beat New Zealand by 3 runs

With semi-final qualification in sight, the Shafali juggernaut rolled on in rather emphatic fashion, but the rest of India's batters flattered to deceive on the day. The opener's 34-ball 46 was the best contribution to India's modest 133, but the bowling pack ensured the streak continued. Albeit only just.

They had to overcome a real scare from Amelia Kerr, who threw the kitchen sink at Poonam Yadav in a quest to chase down 34 off the last 12 deliveries. 18 off those 34 were pocketed off Poonam, but Shikha Pandey just about held her nerve to deny New Zealand a famous World Cup win.

Beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets

India's left-arm spin duo Radha Yadav (4 for 23) and Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2 for 18) proved to be too hot to handle for Sri Lanka, even as captain Chamari Athapaththu fought on with a 24-ball 33. The next best score - 25* off 16 - came from the No. 9 batter Kavisha Dilhari as Sri Lanka limped to 113 for 9. With another rollicking start, Shafali ensured the result in India's favour was a matter of when, not if. India coasted to their fourth victory on the bounce to finish unbeaten, and on top of the Group A points table.

Semifinal: No result due to rain

Showers in Sydney handed a rude exit to England, whose defeat to South Africa ended up costing them a fair shot at making the final. Rains just didn't relent, even for a truncated fixture, allowing India to advance on the basis of faring better in the group stages. ICC drew flak for the absence of a reserve day for the knockout clash, but England had to take it on the chin considering they and every other participating nation signed off on the playing conditions at the start.

The Indian women's cricket team will be aiming for much-needed consistency when it opens its bid for an elusive ICC trophy with the T20 World Cup opener against defending champions Australia. AFP file photo

Australia

Lost to India by 17 runs

Australia were jolted very early in the tournament when they were rattled by Poonam Yadav in the tournament opener despite being billed as the firm favourites to clinch the trophy. India had crawled their way to 132/4 in their quota of 20 overs and while many people expected the run chase to be straightforward for the Australians, Poonam had other ideas. From 55 for 1, Australia were bowled out for just 115, losing their last nine wickets for just 60 runs.

Beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets

After the setback against India, Australia were on the verge of nearing elimination when they were reeling at 10/3 in a run chase of 123. But Meg Lanning and Rachel Haynes ensured their campaign didn't derail as they added 95 runs for the fourth wicket. Australia eventually won the contest by five wickets with just three balls remaining in the chase. In the context of the tournament, this result was massive for the hosts.

Beat Bangladesh by 86 runs

Australia's campaign was back on track following this result. They were at their ruthless best and absolutely hammered Bangladesh by a massive margin of 86 runs. Openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney set up the win with a 151-run opening partnership before Megan Schutt ran through the Bangladesh top-order. The Asian side managed only 103 on the board in a run-chase of 190.

Beat New Zealand by 4 runs

In another must-win encounter which was also virtually a quarterfinal, Australia edged past their Trans-Tasman rivals by 4 runs to book their place in the final four after a lot of hiccups. Beth Mooney held fort with a half-century and Rachel Haynes chipped in with a vital cameo at the death. Georgia Wareham and Megan Schutt ensured New Zealand were never in the fray as Katey Martin's late charge wasn't enough.

Semifinal: Beat South Africa by 5 runs (DLS)

Laura Wolvaardt tried but she didn't find enough support at the other end to knock Australia out of the tournament. Rain played its role once again in a South African heartbreak as Australia reached their sixth final in seven editions. Lanning's 49 helped Australia put on 134 and as a result of the rain, South Africa were asked to chase down 98 in 13 overs. Wolvaardt made an unbeaten 41 but the Australian bowlers did enough to eke out a five-run win and set up a mouth-watering final against India.

Source: cricbuzz.com

Could India's consuming aspiration rival England's large match family?

Could India's consuming aspiration rival England's large match family?

So here we are, close the pointy end of another ICC World Cup with the playing conditions under the scanner. Two weeks of developed pressure could all be discharged in a thunderclap at Sydney. Not at all like the limit tally rule a year ago, the "no save days for World T20 elimination rounds" won't enthuse numerous an England supporter. For in the event that it keeps on bucketing down in Sydney as it has been estimate to and as it did on Tuesday, India will rain move their way into their first-ever T20 World Cup last just uprightness of their unrivaled gathering stage record. 

However, on the off chance that things don't disentangle so significantly off the field, at that point the principal elimination round at the Sydney Cricket Ground can possibly deliver a seismic occasion on it. The cup isn't yet on the line, yet there's ostensibly something progressively huge, at any rate from India's point of view. Heather Knight and Co. end up being one obstacle unreasonably soak for a continually improving India to scale at Lord's and at Antigua - in every one of the last two World Cups. In this way, past the challenge that pits the No.1 T20 bowler - Sophie Ecclestone - against the No.1 player - Shafali Verma - there are smaller than expected fights that will have mental suggestions. 

Will Veda Krishnamurthy change her methodology on the off chance that it descends to her in a weight pursue? Will India's popular turn assault freeze again at seeing Nat Sciver? Will Anya Shrubsole run in with an additional spring in her progression at seeing an Indian player? 

The T20 World Cup has escaped England since they won the debut release in 2009. They have made it to the summit conflict on three different events and completed second best to the old adversary Australia. Their advancement to the last four this time, however, has not been without some early palpitations. It began a nauseous note when they were beaten by South Africa in the opener. That implied they needed to coarseness their teeth and battle past Thailand, Pakistan and the West Indies to complete the capability work. Their top-request exhibitions have been rough however Sciver's sizzling structure has since recharged their conviction that when all falls set up, this could well be their year indeed. 

Holding England up is the nation that has set the bar this World Cup. Truth be told, India have had imperfection free gathering stage runs for two straight T20 World Cups now. In any case, dissimilar to in the Caribbean, where Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged that they'd shocked individuals with their rush to the semis, India have conveyed the heaviness of developing desires on their back during this amazing run, a reality that loans further belief to the model accomplishments of the youthful Poonam Yadav and Verma. Structure hasn't yet been a companion to two of their enormous name players, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, yet who's to state Thursday won't see two exhibitions to coordinate their consuming aspirations? 

At the point when: India versus England, ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020, first Semifinal, 04:00 GMT; 09:30 IST 

Where: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 

What's in store: according to the playing conditions at ICC competitions, a 10-over-a-side experience is an unquestionable requirement for a total game. Should the downpour mists some way or another plot to abstain from congregating over the SCG in front of the famous scene's first round of this competition, the two research organizations will have enormous calls to make - at the hurl and with their determinations. India could be compelled to move away from the turn prevailing assault by the overheads and pursuing could abruptly turn into the more realistic arrangement given the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern components, breaking the bat-first-in-quite a while tenet. An abbreviated game could likewise constrain groups to stack their substantial hitters at the highest point of the request. 

Group News: 

India 

Away from the Poonam-Shafali story, Taniya Bhatiya has had a raging World Cup behind the stumps - affecting a competition high nine rejections. Her batting position however has been less guaranteed with the group shifting back and forth between utilizing her as an opener/one-drop or as a No.8. Inquisitively, her English partner - Amy Jones - has persevered through similar fortunes. Her batting position, more then likely, will by and by be dictated by the match circumstance. 

Shikha Pandey (7 wickets at ER 5.3) is another Indian experiencing a discreetly splendid World Cup regardless of working as the solitary seamer in the last two games. She could, in any case, be brought together with Arundhati Reddy for this game if the downpours leave the pitch with some additional zest. 

Plausible XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad/Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav 

Britain 

Britain have utilized just 12 players of their crew through the World Cup - a complexity to India's 14 - and will differ of changing their XI for a knockout game. In any case, they have the choice of a youthful seamer, Freya Davies, who is equipped for playing as a savvy bolster act to the Brunt-Shrubsole crease combo. 

Likely XI: Danielle Wyatt, Tammy Beaumont, Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight (c), Fran Wilson, Amy Ellen Jones (wk), Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers/Freya Davies, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn 

Did you know? 

- India have a 4-16 record against England in all T20Is. They did, be that as it may, beat Heather Knight's side once in the tri-arrangement before this World Cup. 

- Poonam Yadav is the main wicket-taker in the competition so far with nine scalps. However, in seven T20Is against England, she has taken just five wickets at a normal of 29.60 and SR of 30.0 - both the most noticeably terrible for her against an adversary in the organization. 

- India's spinners have taken most wickets in the competition up until now - 21 - while England spinners have been the most affordable surrendering at 4.33 runs per over. 

What they stated: 

"In the wake of losing the last semi-last, as a group, we understood that we need to fill in as a unit, and right now you will see that our group is functioning as a unit and we are not dependent on only a couple of players." - Harmanpreet Kaur 

"Poonam Yadav is a gigantic risk for them and is an improved bowler since the last World Cup. We've polished for her a great deal, I thought we played her remarkably in the last T20 World Cup and that was because of the readiness we had." - Heather Knight