 "India rely on Pakistan for qualification to Women's T20 World Cup semi-finals: scenarios explained")
India face the prospect of failing to reach the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals for the first time in nearly a decade following a narrow nine-run defeat at the hands of Australia in Sharjah on Sunday. This despite skipper Harmanpreet Kaur scoring a second half-century on the trot and keeping the Women in Blue’s hopes alive till the final over of their chase of 152.
Australia had posted 151/8 after stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath – filling in for the injured Alyssa Healy – opted to bat. Grace Harris, opening in Healy’s place, top-scored for the defending champions with a 41-ball 40 while all-rounders Ellyse Perry and McGrath chipped in with knocks of 32 – off 23 and 26 balls respectively. Renuka Singh (2/24) and Deepti Sharma (2/28) chipped in with a couple of wickets each, the former striking twice in as many deliveries in the third over of the innings.
India, in reply, were off to a promising start but found themselves in a spot of bother after openers Shafali Verma (20) and Smriti Mandhana (6) departed inside the powerplay and Jemimah Rodrigues (16) joined them in the pavilion shortly after.
Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma (29 off 25) would then add 63 for the fourth wicket, the partnership reviving India’s hopes in the middle overs and boosting their hopes of finishing the group stage with six points. Despite the setback of losing Deepti and Richa Ghosh (1) in quick succession, the latter run-out thanks to a brilliant direct hit, India were still in the chase so long as Harmanpreet was at the crease.
Read | Harmanpreet says Australia didn't concede 'easy runs', explains where India went wrong in Sharjah
The skipper, however, could only collect two singles after facing as many deliveries in the final over as India, needing 14 off the last six balls, could only collect three runs while losing four wickets to suffer yet another World Cup heartbreak at the hands of the Aussies.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWhile Australia became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals after finishing the group stage with four wins in as many outings, India find themselves dependent on the result of the Pakistan vs New Zealand for them to join the Southern Stars and the top two teams from Group B in the knockouts.
A thrilling finish to the #INDvAUS contest ensures that three Group A sides remain in contention for a Women's #T20WorldCup semi-final spot.
— ICC (@ICC) October 13, 2024
Standings ➡ https://t.co/zNiSIgIa3z#WhateverItTakes pic.twitter.com/1B04jonIqi
India had, after all, suffered a 58-run thrashing at the hands of New Zealand in their opening game and had been playing catch-up ever since. They managed to revive their hopes with a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan and an 82-run thrashing of Sri Lanka, while Australia’s 60-run thrashing of the White Ferns allowed them to climb to the second spot.
India’s situation, however, looks grim after their defeat against Australia in what could potentially be their final outing of the tournament.
Group A points table:
| Position | Team | Matches Played | Won | Lost | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia (Q) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | +2.223 |
| 2 | India | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | +0.322 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | +0.282 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.488 |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | -2.173 |
Here are the semi-final qualification scenarios for the Women in Blue after their latest outing:
If New Zealand defeat Pakistan on Monday
All New Zealand need now to join Trans-Tasman rivals Australia in the knockouts is for them to simply defeat Pakistan. Since they will be finishing with more points than the Indians in this situation, the Net Run Rate (NRR) will hardly matter.
The Kiwis will even progress if the match ends in a ‘No Result’ due to a washout – which, given the weather in this part of the world at this time of the year, is highly unlikely.
If Pakistan defeat New Zealand
This is where things get interesting. Despite their defeat at the hands of the Aussies on Sunday, India remained in the second spot with an NRR of +0.322, which is slightly better than that of New Zealand (+0.282).
This means a defeat for New Zealand in the final Group A fixture on Monday will certainly result in India finishing in the second spot and becoming the second team from the group to qualify for the semi-finals.
A Pakistani victory, after all, will result in a three-way tie in Group A with India and New Zealand, all three teams finishing on four points. And this is where the advantage lies with the Women in Blue.
The Fatima Sana-led side’s NRR currently reads -0.488 and the only way they can eclipse both India and New Zealand to the second spot is if they win by a huge margin – 53 or more runs if they score 150 batting first.
That, however, is easier said than done for the team that suffered a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of the Aussies in their last outing and is up against a team that has reached the final of the tournament twice.
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