We Had No Right To Win…: Ashleigh Gardner Reflects On Australia’s T20 World Cup Semifinal Win Over India

New Delhi: India and Australia played out an enthralling Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal, with the defending champions holding their nerves to win by five runs. The pendulum swung to and fro throughout the game but eventually, it was Australia who marched into their seventh Women’s T20 World Cup final.

Australia got off to a good start with Healy and Mooney adding 52 runs for the first wicket. However, India didn’t allow Australia to run away with the game, keeping the run rate in check. It seemed that India would manage to stop Australia to somewhere around 160 but a fiery inning of 31 off 18 balls by Ashleigh Gardner pushed the Lanning-led side to 172-4.

India then got off to the worse possible start as their top three batters could only muster 15 runs, leaving the team reeling at 21-3, but a magnificent counter-attack by Jemimah Rodrigues ( 43 off 24 ) and Harmanpreet Kaur ( 52 off 34 ) put India in a commanding position.

At 97-3 in the 11th over, India were cruising towards a win before Jemimah departed. Harmanpreet kept going but a bizarre run-out in the 15th over ended her blazing knock. India could only muster 34 runs in the remaining 32 balls as Australia knockout India out.

Ashleigh Gardner also delivered a stellar show with the ball as she picked up 2 wickets. She was also awarded the Player of the Match for her stellar show.

Post the win, Gardner was effusive in praise for her team and said that Australia showed why they are one of the best teams in the world.

“I think at the ten-over mark in India’s batting innings, everyone had probably written us off, but I think that just shows our character within our side and that’s why the best teams win in those types of positions,” she said.

“What we speak about is when our backs are up against the wall, we always try and find a way, and today we probably had no right to win at one point there. They were cruising and then we found a way to get some wickets and ultimately came out on top.”