Australia Dominates India, Advances in ICC T20 Women's World Cup

In a decisive match at the ICC T20 Women's World Cup, Australia triumphed over India, eliminating them from the tournament. Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner led the charge with impressive performances, raising concerns about the future of India's captain, Harmanpreet Kaur. With this victory, Australia advances to the semifinals, while India finishes third in their group. The match highlighted Australia's dominance and India's struggles throughout the tournament, setting the stage for future developments in women's cricket.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 29, 2026, 12:09 IST

Australia's Commanding Victory Over India

London: Ellyse Perry showcased her exceptional skills while Ashleigh Gardner provided the muscle as Australia secured a convincing six-wicket victory, eliminating a lackluster Indian team from the ICC T20 Women's World Cup on Sunday in London. This defeat may signal the end of Harmanpreet Kaur's tenure as India's T20 captain.

Perry scored 56 runs off 38 balls, and Gardner contributed an unbeaten 53 off just 29 deliveries, forming a crucial 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The six-time champions successfully chased down a target of 171 runs in 19 overs, advancing to the semifinals.

Australia topped Group 1 with a perfect record of 10 points, while India finished third with only six points.

South Africa also secured a spot in the semifinals with eight points after defeating Bangladesh by four wickets earlier in the day.

Despite a shaky start at 68 for three in 9.1 overs, the Australian duo of Perry and Gardner expertly dismantled the Indian bowling attack. The Indian bowlers had dismissed openers Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, and veteran Beth Mooney for minimal runs.

Voll was dismissed in the very first over, unable to handle a sharp delivery from Renuka Singh.

However, Perry and Gardner quickly took control, utilizing their extensive experience to select their shots wisely and accumulate runs without unnecessary risks.

Gardner targeted left-arm spinner Sree Charani and Shafali Verma with powerful sixes, while Perry adopted a more measured approach.

The 35-year-old's innings included eight boundaries, and she reached her fifty in just 33 balls, with Gardner not far behind.

Perry eventually fell to Sree Charani, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, but by that time, Australia was well on its way to victory.

Earlier, captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored a brisk 56 runs off 27 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled to accelerate, resulting in a subpar total of 170 for four, reflecting their ongoing batting difficulties throughout the tournament.

India began positively with openers Smriti Mandhana (38) and Shafali Verma (34), who put together a 66-run partnership. However, their focus on safety hindered their scoring rate, which never exceeded 7 runs per over.

There were moments of aggression, such as Shafali's two sixes off off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner and Mandhana's consecutive fours off pacer Kim Garth.

India concluded the power play at a solid 43 without loss but could have accelerated their scoring from that point. Shafali attempted to shift gears but was dismissed after losing her balance against Australian skipper Sophie Molineux.

Mandhana also fell victim to a mix-up with Jemimah Rodrigues (34, 28b), leaving her stranded as Georgia Wareham's throw hit the stumps.

Rodrigues started with a boundary off Molineux but struggled to maintain momentum, even being dropped twice during her innings.

She was eventually retired out to allow big-hitting Richa Ghosh a chance, although she faced only one delivery.

Harmanpreet, however, was in fine form, capitalizing on the slower pace of Wareham and Molineux for quick runs. She reached her fifty in just 26 balls, hitting three consecutive sixes in the final over, which yielded 23 runs, bringing India's total to 170.