CWC22, India vs Australia: Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy guide six-time champions to victory; book semi-finals berth

Australia captain Meg Lanning (97) and Alyssa Healy (72) starred with the bat as the unbeaten side booked semi-finals berth.

Meg Lanning led Australia win over India. (Image: Twitter/ICC)
By Samrat Chakraborty | Mar 19, 2022 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Australia captain Meg Lanning (97) and Alyssa Healy (72) starred with the bat as the six-time champions scored 280/4 in 49.3 over tp register yet another win against India in the ODI World Cup at the Eden Park, Auckland on Saturday. Notably, this was their highest ever run chase in the history, overcoming India’s 277/7 in a final-over finish at Auckland’s Eden Park. Both were involved in a century partnership each as the top-four helped them a win by six wickets. With this, they managed to remain unbeaten even after playing five matches and placed at the top of the points table.

Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes gave a flying start

Australia opener Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes (43) provided a flying start where they took on every bowler. They started hitting all over the park and struck half a dozen boundaries in the six overs only. Mithali Raj introduced spin but Haynes swept and pulled her way to a run-a-ball 25 in Australia’s 67 in the powerplay as well. Together, they added 121 in 19 overs.

However, Sneh Rana eventually provided the much-needed breakthrough when Healy, attempting a reverse sweep, hit one straight to Raj at short third after scoring a 65-ball 72. Soon Haynes got out off Vastrakar.

However, in between, the Indian pacers’ struggle continued and Meg Lanning used the opportunity quite well with the timely singles and odd boundaries. She reached her 50 off 56 balls and put Australia past 200 en route a 103-run stand with Ellyse Perry, who happily played the second fiddle. And, at the rain-forced break, Australia were 28 runs ahead of the DLS par score of 197 as well.

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However, when the game resumed, Perry soon got out but both Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney stitched a quick 44-run stand to keep the scoreboard ticking. But Meghna Singh provided another breakthrough when Lanning got out in the penultimate over and hit a drive straight to the point and couldn’t complete her century too. Meanwhile, Mooney kept her calm and with two boundary hits, she took the team home.

India openers failed to get going

Earlier, Darcie Brown managed to keep the Indian openers- Smriti Mandhana (10) and Shafali Verma (12) who replaced Deepti Sharma in the playing XI — calm by sending them back early. However, Shafali hit a six and four off successive deliveries from Megan Schutt soon after Mandhana’s dismissal. But, Brown removed her when she attempted to cut but Beth Mooney at gully took a fine diving catch.

Double strikes brought Yastika Bhatia and Mithali raj in the middle. They both started to steady the ship slowly and later added the highest third-wicket partnership against Australia in World Cups. However, Perry’s first over gave them some much-needed runs. Raj brought the fifty of the stand in the 18th over from Ashleigh Gardner, which featured another five wides as well.

With the calculative game, Raj also took some risks and registered her 63rd ODI fifty in 77 balls. After her, Bhatia too scored a 77-ball half-century. But soon she got out while trying to accelerate and Raj’s stunning knock also came to an end soon after while trying for a slog-sweep. She scored 68 off 96 whereas Bhatia smashed 58 off 83.

Their dismissal brought Harmanpreet Kaur in the middle who started taking on the bowlers with ease. With 200 for 4 in 40 overs and Kaur in the middle, the total looked more than 300. But, unfortunately, both Richa Ghosh and Sneh Rana failed to get going. While she smashed a 42-ball fifty, she got good support in Pooja Vastrakar, who smashed quite a few big hits and her 28-ball 34 helped India put up 277 on the board. Kaur remained unbeaten at 57* off 47.