India vs Australia Highlights, Women's T20 World Cup 2026: India knocked out after six-wicket loss against Australia

That will be it from our side tonight. Not a good day to be an India cricket fan but this is how sport works. Anyways, keep reading more on Firstpost. We will see you soon. Thank you!

Fans are not happy with India’s performance:

Not only do India crash out of the Women’s T20 World Cup after losing to Australia at Lord’s, the men’s team suffer a 0-2 sweep at the hands of Ireland in Belfast after losing the second and final T20I, making for a forgettable start to Shreyas Iyer’s tenure as India T20I captain.

India were firmly on top against the Proteas, setting them 159 to win and reducing them to 25/2 at the end of the powerplay, only to end up on the losing side thanks to Marizanne Kapp’s unbeaten 81.

‘Pez’ struck 56 off 38 balls and shared a 100-run stand for the fourth wicket with Ashleigh Gardner.

India finish third in their group with 6 points after their defeat against Australia. They finish with a better Net Run Rate compared to second-placed South Africa, but it’s the fact that the Proteas have 8 points at the end of five games that matters more than anything else.

We have the four semi-finals confirmed on the final day of the group stage – Australia and South Africa from Group 1 and England and West Indies from Group 2.

Australia face West Indies in the first semi-final at the Oval on Tuesday while England face South Africa at the same venue two days later.

Australia and England are the only teams to not lose a single game so far.

Georgia Wareham joins Ashleigh Gardner at the centre and hits the winning boundary in her second delivery straight down the ground. Six-time champions Australia storm into the semi-finals with five wins in as many games and are strong favourites to win the tournament for a record-extending seventh time! AUS 172/4 in 19

Perry departs for 56 off 38 after a tame chip towards mid off, where Shafali latches on to the ball to complete the catch. India finally break the fourth-wicket partnership, but only after it goes past the century mark and takes the match and their semi-final hopes away with it. AUS 168/4 in 18.4

Gardner steers the ball towards deep extra cover to bring up the milestone as Deepti signs off with figures of 1/31 after conceding 12 in her final over. Australia are now one hit away from victory! AUS 166/3 after 18; target: 171

Australia are galloping towards the target now with Renuka conceding 17 in her final over to sign off with figures of 1/41. Gardner helps herself to another six in the third delivery, smashing the ball down the ground and clearing the fence comfortably. Perry later collects a boundary on either side of a no-ball to complete her second fifty of the ongoing tournament, guiding the ball towards square leg and down the ground. AUS 154/3 in 17; need 17 off 18

Gardner and Perry collect a boundary each inside the first three balls of Shafali’s final over, not allowing the off-spinner to settle. Gardner pulls a half-tracker towards deep midwicket while Perry capitalises on a misfield by Kranti two balls later. India suddenly looking crestfallen at the moment, and that might be the reason for the loose deliveries and misfields. AUS 137/3 in 16; target: 171

It’s Australia’s game to lose now after Perry and Gardner plunder 16 runs off Shree Charani, India’s best bowler. Gardner produces a slog-sweep that clears deep square leg in the second delivery. The left-arm spinner later collects a streaky boundary to Perry off a no-ball, with a thick edge sending the ball past short third. And when the boundaries are not coming their way, the two all-rounders keep Australia’s scoreboard ticking with singles. AUS 125/3 in 15; need 46 off 30

Deepti concedes seven in her third over after replacing Shafali, doing well to deny Perry and Gardner a boundary. The Aussies need another 62 off 36 with seven wickets in hand, nothing the two veteran all-rounders can’t pull off by themselves. India need a wicket or two at this stage to stay in the hunt. AUS 109/3 after 14

Just the over that the Aussies were looking for to seize control in their chase. Gardner puts the left-arm spinner under pressure with a four and a six in the first two deliveries, clearing the midwicket fence in the second ball. Perry pierces the gap between point and cover three balls later, steering the ball towards the vacant boundary to bring up Australia’s 100, before collecting a brace in the final delivery. India, in comparison, had reached 100 in the 14th over. AUS 102/3 in 13; target: 171

Harmanpreet continues to rotate her bowlers with Shafali returning to the attack in the 12th over. Perry and Gardner keep the scoreboard ticking with four singles before the former helps herself to a brace. AUS 85/3 in 12; target: 171

Radha Yadav is introduced for the first time after the halfway stage, and concedes just two singles in her first four deliveries. Perry, however, ensures the asking rate doesn’t climb too high with a boundary in the penultimate delivery, placing the ball wide of extra cover. AUS 79/3 in 11; target: 171

Excellent first over from Deepti, conceding four singles after the big wicket of Mooney. Ashleigh Gardner joins Ellyse Perry, and a lot rests on the shoulders of these two senior all-rounders if Australia are to emerge victorious and take South Africa into the semis with them.

Deepti Sharma removes Beth Mooney for the sixth time in women’s T20Is and also becomes the leading wicket-taker in women’s international cricket after getting rid of the senior opener, who holes out to Radha Yadav at wide long on while attempting to clear the fence! AUS 68/3 in 9.1; target: 171

The veteran all-rounder picks the gap through the off-side this time, steering the full delivery through the cover region. Tidy over from Shree Charani besides the boundary with six coming from the over. AUS 68/2 in 9; target: 171

The veteran all-rounder opens her account with a boundary first ball, guiding the ball towards the vacant cow corner fence. Eight from the over with all-rounder Deepti Sharma replacing Shafali Verma in the attack. AUS 62/2 in 8; target: 171

Charani strikes right after Litchfield’s second-wicket partnership with Beth Mooney goes past fifty as the former holes out to Smriti Mandhana at long off while attempting to smash the ball out of the park. AUS 54/2 in 7; target: 171

Shafali proves expensive in her second over, conceding 12 including a six to Litchfield in the first ball as the southpaw uses her feet nicely and smashes the ball down the ground, with the ball landing on the boundary cushion at long on. India had reached 43/0 at the same stage. Drinks brought to the field at the end of the over.

Renuka bowls a third over on the trot, and one wonders if Harmanpreet’s going to bowl her out upfront. Beth Mooney is among the boundaries for the first time in the chase, targeting the midwicket fence in the second delivery and sweeping behind square leg two balls later. 12 from the over. AUS 37/1 after 5; target: 171

Back-to-back one-run overs for Australia with off-spinner Shafali Verma bowling five dots in her first over after being introduced in place of Kranti Gaud. Huge cheer goes up at the ‘Home of Cricket’ with each dot. Australia in a spot of bother. AUS 25/1 after 4; target: 171

The senior pacer concedes just one single in her second over, with Litchfield unable to guide the ball towards the boundary rope despite making multiple adjustments throughout the over. Another over or two like this, and the Women in Blue might just build enough pressure that leads to another wicket. AUS 24/1 after 3; target: 171

Kranti Gaud’s first over ends on an expensive note as Litchfield smacks her for consecutive boundaries, guiding the ball towards the vacant midwicket fence in the penultimate delivery and straight down the ground next up. Litchfield had pulled a short ball at the start of the over that nearly resulted in a catch at deep square. 12 from the over. AUS 23/1 after 2; target: 171

Renuka starts her spell with a boundary first ball, only to dismiss Georgia Voll in the next delivery. She concedes seven off the remaining deliveries, including four wides in two separate deliveries – struggling with bowling down the leg side to new batter Phoebe Litchfield on both occasions. AUS 11/1 after 1; target: 171

Georgia Voll collects a boundary first ball, capitalising on a loose delivery outside off that she steers towards the cover fence with ease. The seamer, however, brings the ball back in the very next delivery, and this time Voll’s beaten on the inside edge and is struck between middle and leg. Harmanpreet signals for the review after the umpire turns the appeal down, and the ball is found to be smashing into the top of leg. AUS 4/1 after 0.2; target: 171

Despite a competitive total on the board, Team India will need a few early wickets if they are to win this do-or-die encounter at the ‘Home of Cricket’. Renuka Singh Thakur to bowl the first over for the Indians.