Australia secured a six-wicket victory over India at Lord’s, completing the highest successful run-chase in Women’s T20 World Cup history. The result officially eliminated India from the tournament and sent the unbeaten Australian squad into the semi-finals.
Ellyse Perry drove the record chase with 56 runs off 38 balls. She partnered with Ash Gardner, who finished unbeaten on 53, to build a century stand. The pair successfully hunted down India’s 170 for 4 with six balls remaining in the innings.
Perry earned her second consecutive Aramco Player of the Match award and noted that batting second gave them a distinct advantage, according to an ICC report. She explained that watching India’s innings allowed her squad to read the pitch conditions and strategically accelerate during the middle overs. The Australian lineup also capitalized on the absence of injured Indian spinner Shreyanka Patil, maintaining a required run rate of over 10 runs an over.
This marks India’s second consecutive T20 World Cup campaign ending without an appearance in the knockout stages. Following the early exit, India head coach Amol Muzumdar publicly critiqued his team’s bowling and fielding as the primary reasons for the failure.
The Lord’s outcome permanently locked the final tournament bracket, directly enabling South Africa to advance alongside the officially confirmed semi-final field of Australia, England, and the West Indies.
Australia will now face the West Indies at The Oval on Tuesday. The upcoming semi-final carries heavy historical weight for both squads, as the Caribbean side previously upset Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup final at Eden Gardens.