On Friday (21st February), the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 started with the Group A match between the hosts as well as the defending champions Australia Women and India Women at Sydney. Deepti Sharma and Poonam Yadav played the crucial role for the Indian team to start the tournament with the 17-run victory.
After winning the toss, the hosts decided to field first and restricted the Indian team to 132/4 (20 overs). In reply, Australia Women were bundled out for 115 runs (19. 5 overs).
Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana provided the 41-run partnership. Australian left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen became the first wicket-taker in this tournament after dismissing Smriti Mandhana (10 runs) who was trapped for the lbw.
Shafali soon departed after scoring 29 runs while the Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur returned to the pavilion after scoring just two runs.
Struggling on 47/3, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma handled that situation very well and provided the crucial 53 runs partnership for the fourth wicket. However, after scoring 26 runs off 33 balls, Rodrigues lost her wicket in the 16th over.
Deepti and Veda Krishnamurthy batted till the end as they set up the 32-run unbroken partnership for the fifth wicket. Deepti just failed to complete her first T20I half-century as she scored 49 not out off 46 balls (3 fours). Krishnamurthy was also unbeaten on nine runs.
Apart from Jonassen’s two wickets (2/24), Ellyse Perry (1/15) and Delissa Kimmince (1/24) also managed to pick up one wicket each.
Australia Women Vs India Women: Poonam Yadav took four wickets
In reply, Australian openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney set up the opening partnership of 32 runs. But after that partnership was broken by the right-arm medium pacer Shikha Pandey, the hosts batting faced a massive collapse.
The leg-spinner Poonam Yadav dominated with the ball as she took four wickets in her first three overs. She finished the game with the incredible bowling figures of 4-0-19-4 – third-best bowling figures for India in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history.
Apart from the wicketkeeper-batswoman Alyssa (51) and the middle-order batter Ashleigh Gardner (34), all other Aussie batters failed to reach the double-digit scores in that innings.
Among the other India Women bowlers, Shikha (3/14) took three wickets while Rajeshwari Gayakwad (1/31) bagged a solitary wicket.
Here are some of the Twitter reactions of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020:
Whadaay Win. Well done girls. Bowling out Australia defending 132 is an outstanding effort. Congratulations @BCCIWomen #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/31RPqDoqQD
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 21, 2020
Congratulations @BCCIWomen on a magnificent beginning to the World Cup Campaign. Great effort by Poonam Yadav and the bowlers to defend 132 against Australia. Best wishes for the matches ahead #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/se9F12Xvpa
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) February 21, 2020
Spin To Win. Even in Australia. Winning the game by 17 runs while defending a modest total….that too against the Hosts and Defending Champions—Australia. Take a bow, #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup #AusvInd
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 21, 2020
Attendance 13,432. We are told a record for women's cricket in Australia. #T20WorldCup
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) February 21, 2020
Well THAT'S made things interesting, hasn't it? It's wide open now. Brilliant bowling by India and Poonam Yadav's wrong'uns were something special. #T20WorldCup
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) February 21, 2020
What a start to the tournament, @BCCIWomen! Beating the hosts and defending champions Australia in the very first game!
Deepti’s resolve put runs on the board before Poonam Yadav literally ‘turned’ things around! Top stuff, girls! ????#T20WorldCup #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/EDRbMVzISK
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) February 21, 2020
A big cheer for the the Women in Blue for their first game in the #T20WorldCup and for the entire tournament… We're watching you ladies smash it on the field and we'll be rooting for you all through??????. #TeamIndia #AusvInd
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) February 21, 2020
What a win and what a start to the #T20WorldCup with the #AUSvIND game! Continue to play with pride and play with love… #TeamIndia More ?? to you ?
— Manushi Chhillar (@ManushiChhillar) February 21, 2020
Well done to India. Smart cricket. But seriously, what on Earth is this utter dross, Australia…#AUSvIND
— Matt Webber (@MattWebberWrite) February 21, 2020
#AUSvIND #TeamIndia
Indian bowler be like . . .. pic.twitter.com/Fgoh7AQDsh— WORLD DIPLOMACY (@BaruiSwaraj) February 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/AnkurAaryan/status/1230805246240346117?s=20
@poonam_yadav24 you little beauty. World Class bowling, perfect start to the world cup #AUSvIND #WorldCup2020 pic.twitter.com/q0jBklZlXP
— Hemant Gulia (@HemantGulia) February 21, 2020
Come back with a BANG!
GET IN poonam Yadav!#T20WorldCup | #AUSvIND | #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/xykujKOYId
— Robbie "#PR17 forever" (@Rob2K) February 21, 2020