Been following women’s cricket since I was 12, and I’ve never seen anything quite like this Australia women’s national cricket team vs India women’s match scorecard from Sharjah. My WhatsApp was blowing up all night with messages from friends who couldn’t believe what just happened.
Table of Contents
That Heart-Attack Final Over
Right, so here’s the deal: October 13th, 2024. Australia puts up 151/8. India needs 152 to win. Simple math, right? Wrong. Cricket doesn’t work that way, especially when Annabel Sutherland’s got the ball in the final over.
India needed 14 runs off the last six balls. My cousin (massive India fan) was already planning his celebration dance. Then boom – Sutherland strikes twice in the final over, finishes with figures of 2/4, and suddenly Australia’s celebrating a 9-run win.
Nine bloody runs. That’s what separated these two teams.
Australia’s Innings: More Drama Than a Bollywood Movie
Looking at this scorecard breakdown, Australia’s batting was all over the place:
The Top Order Mess
- Alyssa Healy battled her way to 40 off 41 balls
- Beth Mooney is gone for just two runs
- Georgia Wareham out on the first ball (would’ve been saved with DRS, but she didn’t review)
Middle Order Magic
- Tahlia McGrath smashed 32 off 26
- Grace Harris matched it with 32 off 23
- Both got out just when they were looking dangerous
My mate Dave texted me during the innings: “Australia’s throwing this away.” He wasn’t wrong – they went from 92/3 to losing regular wickets. But that’s what champions do – they find ways to get to competitive totals even when nothing’s going right.
India’s Chase: When Everything Goes Wrong at Once
Harmanpreet Kaur played the innings of her life. 54 not out off 47 balls, staying cool while wickets tumbled around her. She deserved better than this result.
The Opening Fireworks
- Shafali Verma came out swinging – 20 off 13 balls with two fours and a six
- Then Ashleigh Gardner got her for the fifth time in T20Is (talk about having someone’s number!)
The Middle Order Collapse
- Smriti Mandhana struggled badly, managing just six off 12 balls
- Jemimah Rodrigues looked good with 16 off 12, then threw it away with a pull shot straight to the fielder
The Final Hour Here’s where my heart rate hit dangerous levels. India needed 42 off the last five overs with Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma at the crease. Doable, right?
Wrong again. They lost six wickets for 32 runs. Six! In the final stretch of a World Cup game.
The Bowling Numbers That Matter
Australia’s bowling attack reminded everyone why they’re defending champions:
- Sutherland’s heroics: 4 overs, 2/22 (that final over was pure gold)
- Sophie Molineux’s control: 4 overs, 2/32
- Megan Schutt’s experience: 4 overs, 1/25
India started brilliantly with the ball. Renuka Singh grabbed two wickets in consecutive balls early on, getting both Mooney and Wareham. For a moment there, I thought Australia might fold under 120.
Deepti Sharma bowled beautifully too – 4 overs, 2/28. But in T20 cricket, you need your death bowlers to nail those final overs. That’s where Australia pulled ahead.
The Run-Outs That Killed India’s Hopes
Three run-outs in an innings? In a World Cup semi-final chase? That’s criminal.
- Richa Ghosh run out for 1
- Arundhati Reddy run out for 0
- Shreyanka Patil run out for 0
My cricket coach always said, “You can’t win matches if you’re running yourself out.” Turns out he was right.
What This Scorecard Doesn’t Show You
Numbers tell part of the story, but they miss the real drama:
- The crowd of 14,946 is losing their minds in the final over
- Harmanpreet’s frustration as partners kept falling around her
- Australia’s fielding is getting sharper under pressure
- The umpiring decisions that went both ways (some controversial calls there)
India lost this match more than Australia won it. That sounds harsh, but it’s true. When you lose six wickets for 32 runs in a chase, you can’t blame the opposition.
The Bigger World Cup Picture
This result knocked India out while sending Australia through to another semi-final. Been following these tournaments for years, and Australia knows how to win the big moments.
India’s been building something special in women’s cricket, but moments like these show they’re still learning how to close out pressure games. The talent’s there – Harmanpreet proved that with her knock. But converting talent into trophies? That’s the challenge.
My Take on This Wild Scorecard
Been analysing cricket scorecards for my blog since 2019, and this one’s going straight into my “games that broke hearts” folder.
India came so close to pulling off something massive. They had Australia on the ropes early, built partnerships in the middle overs, and had their captain playing a match-winning knock. But cricket’s funny like that – one bad over can undo 19 overs of brilliant work.
Australia showed exactly why they’ve won multiple World Cups. When the pressure was highest, when India was breathing down their necks, they found that extra gear. Sutherland bowling that final over like she was practising in the nets? That’s championship DNA right there.
This Australia women’s national cricket team vs India women’s match scorecard will be remembered for years – not just by stats nerds like me, but by everyone who loves cricket drama served at its absolute finest.