Australia Crush India to Win Record-Extending 5th ICC Women's T20 World Cup Title
Chasing a massive 185 to win, India crumbled under pressure to be bundled out for 99 in 19.1 overs with the hosts winning by 85 runs.
Defending champions Australia romped to a record-extending fifth ICC Women's T20 World Cup bulldozing India in the final in front of a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.
Chasing a massive 185 to win, India crumbled under pressure to be bundled out for 99 in 19.1 overs with the hosts winning by 85 runs.
Megan Schutt was the star performer with the ball, finishing with 4/18 while Jess Jonassen took 3/20.
The architect of India's unbeaten run to the final, Shafali Verma (2), fell off the third delivery of the chase to Megan Schutt and they never recovered from the setback. Chasing a 180-plus total even on a flat MCG track required some sort of a start but Australia bowlers all but ended India's hopes inside the Powerplay itself.
Jonassen took out Jemimah Rordigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur leaving the first-time finalists in all sorts of trouble at 32/4 in six overs.
Earlier, Alyssa Healy lit up the MCG belting seven fours and five sixes to power Australia's innings. With opening partner Beth Mooney, she rewarded their captain Meg Lanning's decision to bat first with a century stand as nervy India dropped catches handing the six-time finalists an early advantage.
Healy struck a blistering half-century, 75 off 39 while Mooney, who was relatively calm early on, opened up late to remain unbeaten on 78 off 54.
India captain Harmanpreet began with spinner Deepti Sharma who leaked three fours in the first over of the innings. However, Deepti would have felt hard done for with Shafali Verma dropping a fairly easy catch of Healy at covers when she was batting on 9.
That 14-run over set the tone for the rest of the innings.
Healy spared no one. She clobbered two consecutive sixes off Rajeshwari Gayakwad before bringing the crowd to its feet with a hat-trick of sixes against medium pacer Shikha Pandey in the 11th over. Deepti struck twice in the 17th over removing Lanning (16) and Ashleigh Garnder (2) cheaply as India hit back.
However, Mooney took over the reins and finished with 10 fours against her name to take Australia what turned out to be a winning total in front of a record crowd.
Brief Scores: Australia 184/4 (Beth Mooney 78*, Alyssa Healy 75; Deepti Sharma 2/38) beat India 99- all out (Deepti Sharma 33; Megan Shcutt 4/18, Jess Jonassen 3/20) by 85 runs
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