India have stunned defending champions and hosts, Australia, in the opening match of the International Cricket Council’s Women’s T20 World Cup in Sydney. They beat the four-time champions by 17 runs.
India, who were put in to bat, scored at a brisk rate at the start of their innings. Opening batter, Shafali Verma, was the boundary hitter with five fours and a six for her 29 runs but despite the start they had and an unbeaten 49 off 46 deliveries by Deepti Sharma, India were restricted to a very modest 132 for the loss of four wickets from their 20 overs.
Australia were cruising in reply, until the introduction of leg-spinner Poonam Yadav. She took the key wicket of opening batter Alyssa Healy who scored 51 off 35 deliveries, before dismantling the middle order.
The Player of the Match finished with figures of four for 19 from her four overs, a spell Australia could not recover from. They were all out for 115 from the penultimate delivery of their innings to hand India victory by 17 runs. Not the start the defending champions would’ve wanted. South Africa open their campaign on Sunday when they take on England in Perth.
