Sydney:Australia has been stunned in its opening match of the World Cup, going down by 18 runs after a horror collapse.
Australia was cruising in its chase of 133 at 2-67 when leg-spinner Poonam Yadav turned the match on its head.
Deepti Sharma made a battling 49 as Australia restricted India to 132 for four in the opening game of the women’s Twenty20 World Cup in Sydney on Friday.
The defending champions won the toss at a near-full Sydney Showgrounds and elected to bowl.
It looked a dubious decision as exciting 16-year-old opener Shafali Verma powered India to 40 without loss after four overs. But the wheels then came off with three quick wickets falling as the momentum shifted.
Off-spinner Molly Strano, a late replacement for injured young pace spearhead Tayla Vlaeminck, bowled the tournament’s first over and did well to give away just two runs.
But she was guilty of a howler in the next, dropping a straightforward catch from Smriti Mandhana who made the most of her life by smashing two fours.
Opening partner Verma also began peppering the boundaries, making it look easy as she plundered four fours off the world’s top T20 bowler Megan Schutt in a single over.
Poonam Yadav’s four wickets turned the tide across two outstanding overs after coming into the attack, sorting Australia’s middle order out with wrong’un after wrong’un, the best of those skittling Ellyse Perry first ball. She is player of the match!
