Shafali shines, Pandey keeps her calm as India make the semis

The spinners’ show and a calm Shikha Pandey effort following yet another scintillating start by Shafali Verma saw India pip New Zealand by a mere four runs in a thrilling Group A clash at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Thursday (February 27), which saw them qualify for the semi-final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.

New Zealand were chasing only 134, thanks to a brilliant comeback from their bowlers. As expected, India began with Deepti Sharma, who was carted for 12 in the opening over. But Pandey dismissed the Kiwi wicketkeeper-batter for 12, pegging them back in the second over.

The ‘Smash Sisters’ Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine then got on with the resurrection, before the former was cleaned up by Sharma, to pick her 50^th scalp in the format. Devine, who was going through a purple patch, stringing six successive scores of fifty or more, was the big wicket that Poonam Yadav then got. It was a full toss and Devine ended up getting a top edge towards Radha Yadav, who replaced Arundhati Reddy in the side. The Kiwi captain just made 14.

Three early strikes and that too, of the top three players meant that India were in the driver’s seat. But then came the phase that culminated in the game turning into a thriller. Maddy Green didn’t have the best of days in the field, dropping two catches. But with the bat, she added 43 runs for the fourth wicket with Katey Martin, who was one of two changes New Zealand made for this game. The pair ran well between the wickets, occasionally finding the fence to keep the Kiwis in the game.

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But Green soon got a feather and Taniya Bhatia did the best, when she was on 24. Martin, on 25, followed her to the dug out, giving Radha a wicket to help her stretch her wicket-taking run to 22 games – the second-longest duration. It left the Kiwis needing 44 in the last 27 balls, which then came down to 34 in the last two overs.

With the ball in Poonam’s hand for the penultimate over, it seemed as if the Indians would coast home. But it wasn’t to be that easy. Amelia Kerr took on Poonam and how! She first exploited the backward square leg region for a couple of fours before cutting one through point for another one. On the last ball, she charged down and went over covers for another boundary, taking 18 off the penultimate over.

With 16 to get in the final over, Hayley Jensen was lucky to get an inside edge past leg stump for a four, before Kerr cleverly ramped one over short third man for another four.

Maddy Green in action. © Getty Images

The situation was tense. Five runs were needed on the final ball. That’s when Pandey delivered a full and wide one, Kerr moved across to exploit the leg side but missed. The ball deflected off her pad to the off side. India had managed to escape to a win by the skin of their teeth.

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Earlier, in company of the returning Smriti Mandhana, Verma got India off to a flier. Although Mandhana (11) fell early, Verma added 51 for the second wicket with Taniya Bhatia, who was promoted in what was a surprising move. However, India then lost the way after Bhatia cut one straight to backward point off Rosemary Mair for 23 in the tenth over.

India then collapsed from one for 68 to seven for 111 – losing seven wickets for just 43 runs in eight overs. The procession included yet another single-digit score for Harmanpreet Kaur (one). Radha Yadav’s nine-ball cameo, in which she scored 14, including a six in the last over, meant that India got to a decent 133 for eight.

Kerr and Mair had picked two wickets each while Leigh Kasperek (1/19), Sophie Devine (1/12) and Lea Tahuhu (1/14) all chipped in with one apiece.

Brief Scores: India 133/8 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 46, Taniya Bhatia 23; Amelia Kerr 2/21) beat New Zealand 129/6 in 20 overs (Amelia Kerr 34*, Katey Martin 25, Maddy Green 24; Shikha Pandey 1/21, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 1/22) by four runs. PoTM: Shafali Verma