The timing isn’t too auspicious for Indian cricket fans, but it was on this very day in 2020 when the Women in Blue were thrashed in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final.
It was one of the landmark days in women’s cricket history as a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground watched the home team outclassing Harmanpreet Kaur’s side by 85 runs. Alyssa Healy was the star of the show with a 39-ball 75 and by a bizarre coincidence the Australian wicket-keeper batter took the field for her country for the last time on the same day six years later – leading her team to victory in a Test match at Perth against the same team.
The final was played just days before the world shut down on account of the pandemic, hence it remained in the fans’ consciousness for a long time with no sport for quite some time.
India had come into the title clash full of confidence and fancied their chances as they had beaten Meg Lanning’s team – considered almost invincible at that time – in their opening game in Sydney. Though their semifinal against England was washed out, they made the final after finishing top of their group.
But any prospect of a repeat of the result in the group fixture was nipped in the bud by Healy, who hit seven fours and five sixes in her whirlwind knock.
But it was far from being a one-woman show. Beth Mooney was the star of the World Cup and the left-hander was adjudged Player of the Tournament for her tally of 259 runs. The two put on an opening stand of 115 runs in less than 12 overs to knock the stuffing out of the Indians.
India had a spin-heavy bowling attack with Shikha Pandey the sole medium pacer. She went for 52 runs in her four overs, and though the final total didn’t reach levels it could have, Mooney remained unbeaten with a 54-ball 78, with 10 fours, to take Australia to 184/4 in 20 overs. It was due to the efforts of Deepti Sharma (2/38), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (0/29), Poonam Yadav (1/30) and Radha Yadav (1/34) that the hosts were stopped well short of 200.
India’s chances rested, to a great deal, on the start provided by teenage sensation Shafali Verma, but the Rohtak girl was out to medium pacer Megan Schutt off the third ball of the chase. Next batter, Taniya Bhatia had to be retired due to a concussion, and when Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet were back in the dugout before the Powerplay was done with just 30 runs on the board, the writing was on the wall.
Deepti top-scored with 33, but only formalities remained as the hosts had begun celebrating much before India were bowled out for 99 in 19.1 overs. Schutt (4/18) and left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen (3/20) were the wreckers-in-chief.
On the positive side, India’s run to the final, after the appearance in the 50-over final at Lord’s three years earlier, raised the profile of women’s cricket in the country and was a vital stepping stone to all that came after – the launch of the Women’s Premier League and victory in the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2025.
