Australia ended their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in India with a convincing six-wicket win on Sunday, raising fresh questions about Harmanpreet Kaur’s future as India’s T20 captain. Chasing 171, the six-time champions met the target in 19 overs thanks to a match-winning 100-run partnership between Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner.India put Australia under pressure early in the chase, reducing them to 68/3 after dismissing Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney cheaply. However, the experienced Perry (56 from 38 balls) and the insufferable Gardner (53 not out from 29 balls) turned the game around with a clinical display of batting.Perry relied on timing and placement, hitting eight boundaries during the innings, while Gardner attacked the Indian bowlers with powerful shots. By the time Perry was dismissed, Australia were firmly in control and eventually secured their place in the semi-finals with a perfect Group 1 record.Earlier, India posted 170/4, a total that looked competitive only because of captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s explosive knock of 56 off just 27 balls. Openers Smriti Mandhana (38) and Shafali Verma (34) gave India a steady start in a 66-run partnership, but the scoring rate remained below expectations.Shafali was dismissed while trying to accelerate, while Mandhana was dismissed after a mix-up with Jemimah Rodrigues. Jemimah scored 34 off 28 balls but struggled to maintain the momentum and was eventually withdrawn before the final over.Harmanpreet swung the momentum late in the innings, smashing three consecutive sixes off Australian captain Sophie Molineux in the final over, helping India score 23 runs in the last six balls. However, the partnership of Perry and Gardner proved too strong as Australia sealed victory and South Africa joined them in the semi-finals.
