Bristol: India's semifinal prospects suffered a massive setback after Australia cantered to a convincing eight-wicket win, riding on a superb batting show by their top-order in the ICC Women's World Cup in Bristol on Wednesday.
Put into bat, opener Punam Raut's fighting century and a 69 from record-breaking skipper Mithali Raj enabled India to post a decent 226 for seven in their sixth group league encounter.
Australia overhauled the target with 29 balls to spare, scoring 227 for two, courtesy some fine batting by skipper Meg Lanning (76 not out) and Ellyse Perry (60 not out). ICC Women's World Cup 2017: Meg Lanning powers Australia into semis with breezy win over India
Beth Mooney (45) and Nicole Bolton (36) laid the foundation with a 62-run opening partnership in Mithali said at the post-match presentation ceremony, "It was a decent total after losing our first wicket in the first couple of overs. We should have got more runs in the middle overs, but it was still a competitive total. But the bowlers didn't look penetrative, it was a slow wicket."
After this loss, India are now placed at the fourth spot with eight points. They will have to win its next and final league match against New Zealand to make the knockout stage.
"Even for New Zealand, probably, it will be a do-or-die match. If we look forward to qualifying, we really need to upgrade our quality of cricket."
Mooney and Bolton made a watchful start to their innings as Indian pacers Jhulan Goswami and Deepti Sharma bowled maiden overs first up.
Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was introduced into the attack and Bolton exploded with three back-to-back fours.
Mooney and Bolton helped Australia score 57 in the first 15 overs before the latter was sent packing by Poonam Yadav in the next over.
Mooney then blasted a couple of fours off Sharma in the next over, while new batswoman Lanning too joined the party with a clean strike over Yadav's head and then hitting one over mid-off as Australia reached 82 for one.
The duo brought up the hundred in the 23rd over, but Mooney was run-out with Deepti producing a brilliant fielding at short extra-cover.
Perry then joined Lanning and the took the ones and twos and occasional boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. They brought up the 150 when Perry bisected the deep mid-wicket and long-on with a boundary in the 32nd over.
In the first ball of the 35th over, Lanning picked up a single off Goswami to complete her fifty. The duo continued to rotate the strike and crossed the 200-mark in the 41st over.
Perry, who completed her 22nd ODI fifty, cracked a straight drive off Goswami to bring up the winning runs.
"We've come into this World Cup looking to win it, just like every other team. There's been some very good cricket played, and every game from here on is going to be high- quality," Lanning said.
Earlier, Raut (106, 136 balls) and Mithali (69, 114 balls) added 157 runs for the second wicket but they consumed more than 37 overs in the process.
The highlight of India innings was Mithali surpassing former England captain Charlotte Edwards' aggregate of 5992 runs to become the highest run-getter in the history of women's ODI.
En route her 49th ODI half-century, she also became the first batswoman to reach the individual milestone of 6000 runs.
Talking about the milestone, Mithali said: "I think that since I've had a long career, (the milestone) is part of it. It's very important for me to get runs for my country from my bat. I can say I'm happy even though I'm not happy in terms of the result or the way I scored them today."
Pint-sized Punam, who hit 11 fours, played confidently against the spinners. Mithali, however, was very slow off the blocks even though her innings had four boundaries and a six.
She simply couldn't find the gaps as the dot balls kept on piling. The only time she tried chancing her arms was when she lofted Beans for a six to complete 6000 runs.
Once Mithali was out, Harmanpreet Kaur (23, 22 balls) tried to get to move on but after she was dismissed, the Indians couldn't accelerate in the final overs.
ICC Women's World Cup 2017: Highlights from the match between India and Australia straight from Bristol.
21:18 IST: And its done, Australia beat India by 8 wickets at Bristol.
21:14 IST: Four! Ellyse Perry hits Poonam Yadav for a boundary.
21:10 IST: Australia need 12 more runs to win off 42 balls.
21:03 IST: 200 comes up for Australia in 40.3 overs, need 27 runs in 57 balls.
21:02 IST: Four! Short from Deepti, Lanning pulls it away with authority.
20:59 IST: Four! Lanning sweeps Harmanpreet for a boundary. After 40th over, Australia are 195 for two.
20:57 IST: Australia need 41 runs in 66 balls.
20:49 IST: Four! Short from Harmanpreet Kaur, Perry pulls it away for a boundary.
20:42 IST: Australia need 55 runs in 90 balls.
20:40 IST: Half-century! Fifty for the Australian captain Meg Lanning off 55 balls.
20:34 IST: Australia captain Meg Lanning leading the charge against India as she is edging close to a victory.
20:25 IST: 30 overs done, Australia 140 for two, need 87 runs to win.
20:23 IST: Four! Coming down the pitch, Meg Lanning puts Ekta Bisht over the in-field for a boundary.
20:20 IST: Four! Making room for herself Meg Lanning guides Deepti Sharma for a boundary.
20:17 IST: Four! Outside off stump from Shikha Pandey, Ellyse Perry slams the ball for a boundary.
20:13 IST: After 26 overs, Australia 115 for two.
20:04 IST: Run-out!! Deepti Sharma provides India with the breakthrough as Beth Mooning departs for India.
19:57 IST: Four! Full from Poonam, Mooney drives it beautifully for a boundary.
19:50 IST: 20 overs done, Australia 86 for one, need 141 more runs to win.
19:41 IST: Four! Second boundary of the over for the Aussie women.
19:40 IST: Six! Huge maximum from Meg Lanning off Poonam.
19:37 IST: Four! Full from Deepti, Mooney drives it for a boundary.
19:35 IST: Four! Low full toss from Deepti Sharma, Beth Mooney hits its straight down the ground.
19:33 IST: Out! Poonam Yadav strikes, Nicole Bolton departs for 36.
19:30 IST: Four! Bolton sweeps Poonam Yadav for a boundary.
19:22 IST: Poonam Yadav introduced in to the bowling attack.
19:14 IST: Four! Short from Ekta Bisht, Bolton pulls it away for a boundary.
19:11 IST: After 10 overs, Australia are 34 for no loss.
19:05 IST: Mooney and Bolton slowly taking Australia ahead in chase against India.
18:57 IST: After the 6th over, Australia 18 for zero.
18:50 IST: Four!! Back-to-back boundaries from Mooney off Deepti Sharma.
18:48 IST: Four! Short from Goswami, Bolton pulls to get off the mark.
18:44 IST: Another maiden over from India. Australia are yet to get off the mark after the second over.
18:40 IST: Deepti Sharma introduced into the bowling attack.
18:38 IST: Maiden first over from Jhulan Goswami.
18:36 IST: Jhulan Goswami is opening the bowling for India. Beth Mooney and Nicole Bolton are opening the batting for Australia.
18:34 IST: Hello and welcome to the second innings of the match between India and Australia.
18:06 IST: INDIA 226/7 IN 50 OVERS AGAINST AUSTRALIA.
Punam Raut 106
Mithali Raj 69
Ellyse Perry 2/37
Megan Schutt 2/52.
18:04 IST: Deepti Sharma comes to the crease.
18:03 IST: WICKET! Megan Schutt castles Sushma Verma for 6 runs. India 220/7 in 49.3 overs.
18:01 IST: FOUR! Much needed boundary for India. Shikha Pandey smashes Perry towards deep mid wicket for a boundary. India 218/6 in 49 overs.
17:58 IST: WICKET! BOWLED! Ellyse Perry castles Jhulan Goswami for a duck. India are losing their tail in quick succession. Australia have tighten the grip after Mithali and Punam's knocks. India 211/6 in 48.1 overs.
17:54 IST: WICKET! Megan Schutt removes Harmanpreet Kaur for 23 runs. Kaur comes down the track to attack Schutt but misses the ball completely. Healy does rest of the job behind the stumps. India 208/5 in 47.3 overs.
17:50 IST: WICKET! India lose their fourth wicket. Veda Krishnamurthy departs for a duck. Great piece of fielding from Schutt. India 204/4 in 46.3 overs.
17:49 IST: Veda Krishnamurthy comes to the crease.
17:47 IST: WICKET! That's the end of a fine innings from Punam Raut. Ellyse Perry ends Punam Raut's stay at 106. A loud cheer from the crowd for the Indian. Incredible innings. India 203/3 in 46.2 overs.
17:45 IST: SIX! BOOM! That's a monstrous hit from Harmanpreet Kaur. The right-hander bents on her knee and sends Jonassen over deep mid-wicket region.
17:38 IST: CENTURY! Punam Raut brings up her ton off 129 balls. India 187/2 in 44 overs.
17:37 IST: FOUR! Punam Raut moves to 98 with a boundary towards sweeper cover.
17:30 IST: FOUR! Harmanpreet Kaur comes forward and smashes Gardner towards long on. India 173/2 in 41.5 overs.
17:29 IST: Harmanpreet Kaur comes to the crease now.
17:27 IST: BIG WICKET! Kristen Beams ends Mithali Raj's stay at 69. An incredible innings from Mithali comes to an end. A loud cheer from the crowd for the Indian skipper. India 166/2 in 40.3 overs.
17:25 IST: 40 overs gone! India 164/1. Mithali Raj 68*, Punam Raut 88*.
17:14 IST: FOUR! Mithali Raj sends Gardner towards deep extra cover for a beautiful boundary. India 151/1 in 38 overs.
17:10 IST: Punam Raut batting on 78 and Mithali Raj on 56. India 141/1 in 37 overs.
16:57 IST: 33 overs gone! India 124/1. Mithali Raj 51*, Punam Raut 67*.
16:51 IST: 100-run partnership comes up between Punam Raut and Mithali Raj.
16:48 IST: FOUR! Punam Raut comes forward and smashes Schutt towards long on. India 108/1 in 31 overs.
16:43 IST: SIX! Mithali Raj completes 6000 ODI runs with a huge SIX towards long-off.
16:37 IST: MITHALI RAJ BECOMES THE HIGHEST RUN-GETTER IN WOMEN'S ODIs. Incredible feat for Mithali. What a moment for her. She goes past England's Charlotte Edwards
16:30 IST: FOUR! Mithali Raj smashes the ball over bowler Ellyse Perry's head. Confident shot from the Indian captain. India 85/1 in 26 overs.
16:28 IST: 25 overs gone! India 79/1. Punam Raut 51*, Mithali Raj 23*.
16:26 IST: FIFTY! Punam Raut brings up her half-century off 74 balls with a boundary off Ellyse Perry. India 78/1 in 24.4 overs.
16:22 IST: FOUR! Clever shot from Punam Raut. She uses the pace and scoops the ball over wicket-keeper's head. India 73/1 in 24 overs.
16:17 IST: FOUR! Punam Raut comes forward and sends Gardner towards square leg for another boundary. India 67/1 in 22 overs.
16:16 IST: FOUR! Best shot of the day! Poonam Raut smashes Gardner towards deep mid wicket.
16:11 IST: FOUR! Full toss from Ashleigh Gardner. Punam Raut smashes the ball towards cover. India 55/1 in 20 overs.
16:05 IST: FOUR! Excellent shot from the Indian captain. Mithali drives Kristen Beams for a boundary. India 50/1 in 18 overs.
15:59 IST: A loud LBW appeal from Jess Jonassen. Umpire raises his finger. India lose Mithali Raj. Wait! The skipper has asked for a review. The decision is reversed now. Mithali Raj is NOT OUT.
15:53 IST: 15 overs gone! India 39/1. Mithali Raj 10*, Punam Raut 24*.
15:46 IST: FOUR! Mithali Raj cuts the ball nicely towards backward point. Excellent shot from the skipper. India 35/1 in 12.5 overs.
15:41 IST: 11 overs gone! India 27/1. Mithali Raj 4*, Punam Raur 18*.
15:34 IST: FOUR! Another beauty from Punam Raut. She finds the gap and drives the ball towards cover. India 25/1 in 9 overs.
15:30 IST: FOUR! Punam Raut takes a big stride and guides Schutt towards sweeper cover. What a shot from the right-hander. India 21/1 in 8.2 overs.
15:27 IST: Mithali goes on backfoot and jabs the ball towards extra cover region. India 17/1 in 8 overs.
15:20 IST: 5 overs gone! India 11/1. Mithali Raj 1*, Punam Raut 6*.
15:17 IST: Captain Mithali Raj comes to the crease now. Can she rebuild India innings after Mandhana's wicket?
15:14 IST: BIG WICKET! Ashleigh Gardner strikes, Smriti Mandhana departs for 3. India 9/1 in 3.2 overs.
15:12 IST: FOUR! First boundary of the India innings. Punam Raut guides Schutt towards deep mid wicket. India 9/0 in 3 overs.
15:08 IST: Another good over from Australia. Gardner concedes just 2 runs. India 4/0 in 2 overs.
15:06 IST: Ashleigh Gardner comes into the attack.
15:04 IST: Excellent start from Megan Schutt. Just 2 runs off her over. India 2/0 in 1 over.
15:00 IST: Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana are making their way to the middle. Megan Schutt will open the attack for Australia. Umpire says - Lets's play. Here we go.
STAT ATTACK: At Bristol, the teams batting second have won 3 out of 5 games in this World Cup. But, the last 2 matches at Bristol have been won batting first. What is your prediction for today's match?
Playing XIs:
India Women XI: Punam Raut, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Sushma Verma (wk), Jhulan Goswami, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav
Australia Women XI: Beth Mooney, Nicole Bolton, Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning (captain), Elyse Villani, Alex Blackwell, Alyssa Healy (wk), Ashleigh Gardner, Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Kristen Beams.
14:33 IST: TOSS: Australia opt to field against India at Bristol.
14:23 IST: It's cold morning in Bristol. Both the teams - India and Australia - have arrived at the stadium. Toss is just few minutes away.
14:20 IST: Hello and welcome to the Live coverage from the ICC Women's World Cup match between India and Australia.
India will hope their star player Smriti Mandhana fires against Australia at the top after failing to get going in her previous two outings. Mandhana scored eight runs against Sri Lanka and two against south Africa. Skipper Mithali Raj will also look to open her arms against Australia after scoring a golden duck against South Africa. In-form batter Deepti Sharma, who has so far scored 172 runs in the five matches will look to continue her fine run with the willow. In the bowling department, left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht -- the leading wicket-taker in the tournament so far with nine scalps -- will look to put the brakes on the Australians alongside medium pacer Deepti Sharma and fellow spinner Poonam Yadav.
