India remained unbeaten throughout the course of the tournament, before being handed an 85-run loss in the final by hosts Australia
Unbeaten throughout the tournament, India were handed a massive 85-run thrashing by the defending champions at the MCG . Australia posted 184 for four before their bowlers put up a disciplined effort to win their fifth title in which Pandey was hammered for over 50 runs in her four-over quota.
Senior pacer Shikha Pandey admitted that India were outclassed not just the fielding but in all three departments which led to the side’s humbling defeat against Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup final.
“Nerves weren’t really a factor. Once you get onto the field, you just zone out. I don’t think I felt nerves,” Pandey told after the game. “Initially, if you gift chances to batters in form they’re going to use them. It could have gone either way but those chances costed us. We could have been better in all three departments, it wasn’t just the fielding,” she said.
India rued the dropped chances of Beth Mooney (78 not out), whose caught and bowled opportunity was missed by Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Alyssa Healy (75), who was dropped off the fifth ball of the innings by Shafali Verma. The opening duo then nicely set it up Australia’s record-breaking win.
Healy and Mooney’s efforts shattered the confidence of the Indian bowlers from the first over itself and Pandey, who was at the receiving end, said even she had to appreciate the former’s brutal hitting.”You do have plans against a batter like her, but the kind of shots she played were amazing. Sometimes you can just stand and acknowledge, and appreciate the shots she was playing. It was one of those days when I was on the receiving end.”
ICC women’s T20 WC XI of tournament
Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav was the lone Indian to make the ICC Women’s T20 playing XI of the World Cup, which featured teenage sensation Shafali Verma as the 12th player and was dominated by champions Australia. Five players from Australia’s victorious team made the side of the tournament.
India’s leading T20I wicket-taker, Poonam Yadav took four for 19 in the opener and didn’t look back, bagging three against Bangladesh before rounding off with wickets in each match. Verma, on the other hand, broke record after record at the top of India’s order.The 16-year-old scored 163 runs coming at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 158.25
Final score: Australia Women 184/4 (Beth Mooney 78*, Alyssa Healy 75) – India Women 99 all out in 19.1 overs (Megan Schutt 4/18, Jess Johnson 3/20)
This article was originally published in FirstPost.com