India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur (R) in the field during the ICC Women's T20 against Australia. | Photo Credit: AFP

Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner are two of the shining reasons why this Australian women’s team is a frighteningly perfect one. The two gifted women joined hands to end India’s T20 World Cup dream at Lord’s on Sunday afternoon.

Australia chased down India’s 170 for four with six wickets and an over to spare. The Indians had to win this match – and their captain had given them a chance with a brilliant innings – but the defeat against South Africa earlier in the tournament has come back to haunt them.

That was always going to be a virtual quarterfinal. So the South Africans, who predictably defeated Bangladesh by four wickets after making a heavy weather of it, have joined Australia in the last four.

At the start of the Australian innings, Renuka Singh brought joy to her team and a highly partisan crowd when she had Georgia Voll lbw off the second ball, which shaped back in at good pace. India’s decision to review the not-out decision proved smart.

But Phoebe Litchfield, returning back from injury, and Beth Mooney put the chase on the right track with a 50-run partnership for the second wicket, but when they both departed, India’s hopes raised. At 68 for three, Australia had plenty to do.

ALSO READ: Australia remains unbeaten, India knocked out: Full list of records broken in IND v AUS, Women’s T20 World Cup 2026

Perry (56, 38b, 8x4) and Gardner 53 n.o., 29b, 3x4 3x6) stayed calm and took their side confidently towards the target. It was one of the best partnerships you would see in a chase in this format. They just knew how exactly reach home.

It is a pity that Harmanpreet’s stunning, counterattacking knock, when India needed desperately, came in a losing cause, that too in a game as important as this. But for her 27-ball 56 (6x4, 3x6), India would have struggle to test this strong Australian batting lineup that bats really deep.

The Indians, choosing to bat first after winning the toss, were struggling to score at a good enough pace. Smriti Mandhana (38, 37b, 6x4) and Shafali Verma (34, 26b, 3x4, 2x6) gave another fine start, but their 66-run stand wasn’t exactly their briskest. Shafali looked more threatening of the two, until she tried to make room against the Australian skipper Sophie Molineux, lost balance and was bowled.

Smriti was then tragically run out by about half the pitch at the non-striker’s end, as Jemimah Rodrigues (34, 28, 1x4, 1x6) possibly didn’t her call for the quick run. Jemimah was then joined by Harmanpreet and they put on 64 for the third wicket before the former was retired out to bring in India’s designated finisher Richa Ghosh.

But on this day, the captain took over that role. She swung her bat to maximum effect to stun the Australians who might have been hoping to keep India even under 150. They dropped uncharacteristically high number of catches, too.

Harmanpreet hit her counterpart for three sixes in the final over, which leaked 23 runs. But Perry and Gardner would put the smile back on their captain’s face.

Published on Jun 28, 2026