Women's World T20: Mandhana hits 83 to set up India's 48 run win over Australia
Providence (Guyana), Nov 17: Opener Smriti Mandhana smashed a career-best 83 before Indian slow bowlers spun their web against Australia to continue their invincible run with a 48-run win in a group B match of the ICC Women's World Cup here on Saturday.
Mandhana blasted 9 fours and 3 sixes in her 55-ball innings and shared a 68-run third wicket partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (43 runs off 27) to power India to a competitive 167 for 8 at the Providence Stadium here.
The spinners then got into the act with Anuja Patil (3/15) taking three wickets and Poonam Yadav (2/28), Radha Yadav (2/13) and Deepti Sharma (2/24) snapping two each to restrict Australia for 119-9 in 19.4 overs.
Alyssa Healy was absent hurt following a collision with Megan Schutt in the Indian innings.
India thus notched up their fourth victory in as many match to top group B. They will now take on either England or West Indies in the second semifinals. Both India and Australia were already in the semifinals after winning the first three matches in group B.
Chasing 168 to win, Beth Mooney (19) and Elyse Villani (6) opened the innings after in-form Healy didn't come out to bat following a collision during the Indian innings which left the wicket-keeper batsman with mild concussion.
Mooney and Villani gave Australia a decent start, sharing 27 runs in 4 overs.
However, Deepti Sharma struck twice in successive balls, removing both the openers as Australia slipped to 27 for 2 in 4.2 overs.
A few overs later, Australia lost their skipper Meg Lanning's (10) with Krishnamurthy taking a good catch at deep midwicket off Radha Yadav's bowling.
Poonam Yadav then got rid off Ashleigh Gardner (20) with Krishnamurthy taking another catch at long-off when the batsman tried to play another big shot.
India continued to put pressure on the Australians before Perry blasted three boundaries in the 15th over off Harmanpreet to ease the pressure.
Poonam then returned to pick up another wicket when she deceived Haynes with her flight and wicket-keeper Taniya Bhatia did the rest.
The Australia innings crumbled after that even as EA Perry scored an unbeaten fighting 28-ball 39 laced with three fours and a six.
Earlier, Mandhana became the second fastest Indian to complete 1000 runs in T20 internationals after Mithali Raj as she anchored the innings with a superb fifty.
Mandhana gave India a good start after her fellow opening batsman Taniya Bhatia (2) was dismissed in the second over, being caught by Lanning at mid wicket off Gardner's ball.
Australia picked up a second Indian wicket in the 7th over when Delissa Kimmince dismissed Jemimah Rodrigues (6).
Skipper Harmanpreet then joined Mandhana in the middle as the duo dominated the bowlers.
Harmanpreet smashed Molineux over mid wicket for her first six, while a beautiful-looking sweep shot helped Mandhana to complete her fifty in 31 balls.
Harmanpreet then hoisted one over extra cover off Gardner to pick up her second six as India reached 83 for 2 in 10 overs.
The Indian skipper continued to find boundaries, making life difficult for the Australian bowlers.
In the 14th over, Harmanpreet slapped one over extra cover before depositing a full toss by Kimmince over short fine leg.
However an attempt to go for another big shot proved fatal as she was caught by Haynes to leave India at 117 for 3 in 13.3 overs.
In the next over, Mandhana too was on her way back to the hut when she was adjudged LBW by the on-field umpire but she survived after a video referral showed the ball pitched outside leg.
India however lost a bit of ground in the end following the quick wickets of Veda Krishnamurthy and Dayalan Hemalatha within a space of four balls.
In the 18th over, Mandhana hit a six and a four off Kimmince as India amassed 17 runs but Schutt removed the opener in the next over.
There was also an unfortunate collision between Megan Schutt and wicket-keeper Alyssa Healy as both went for a catch, following a miscued hit by Reddy. Healy then left the field as Beth Mooney took over her duties.
Brief Score:
INDW: 167/8 (20.0 Ovs)
AUSW: 119-all out (19.4 Ovs)
India Women won by 48 runs
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2 men dragged for 300 metres by truck in Agra; locals save their lives
Agra, Dec 23: A truck driver dragged two people for about 300 metres in Agra under his vehicle, police on Monday said.
Some locals forced the driver to stop the truck and extricated the men from under the vehicle.
Police arrested the driver and seized the truck.
The two men, both residents of Nunhai in Agra, were going towards Rambagh from Waterworks when they met with an accident around 11 pm Sunday.
The driver, instead of stopping the truck sped up, trapping both of them underneath, police said.
"In the accident, two youths were dragged by a canter driver for about 300 metres. Later, some residents saved the youths by stopping the driver using force," Chhatta Police Station Inspector Pramod Kumar told PTI.
"The youths were sent for treatment at a nearby hospital and are still being treated, but are in stable condition. The youths were from Agra. The canter driver was arrested and the canter seized after the incident," he said.
A video of the incident that surfaced on social media showed the men shouting for help.
The video was purported to have been shot by a person passing by on a two-wheeler.
“पिछली पोस्ट में वीडियो में युवकों को मोटर साइकल सहित ट्रक वाला कई मीटर तक घसीटता हुआ ले जाता गया देखा था,
— Umashankar Singh उमाशंकर सिंह (@umashankarsingh) December 23, 2024
अब जनता द्वारा उस ट्रक ड्राइवर की ठुकाई पिटाई का समारोह देखिए।”#Agra@madanjournalist
pic.twitter.com/Qh5ncyWtEa
HORRIFYING!
— Sanjay Kishore (@saintkishore) December 23, 2024
In Agra, a truck driver dragged two men for 300 meters. Locals intervened, stopping the truck and saving the men. Both are stable but continue receiving treatment. The driver has been arrested and the truck seized.
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