Australia v India: Women's Twenty20 World Cup opener – live! – The Guardian, Theguardian.com

4. am (EST)

: () WICKET! Rodrigues lbw b Kimmince (India (4)

Oh, that’s very out! The DRS projection has the ball hitting middle halfway up. Lovely bowling from Kimmince, rewarded for her steady hand through the middle overs. The end of an important partnership with balls remaining.

th over: India 238 – 4 (Deepti )

4). (am) EST : 16

IS ​​RODRIGUES LBW? Kimmince thinks so and the umpire agrees. But the Indian No3 is sending it upstairs, she thinks it has done too much. Stand by.

4). 17 am EST 17:

th over: India 125 – 3) Rodrigues 33, Deepti 38 Credit to India, this has been dedicated, effective and risk-free accumulation. This pair have now put on (in) balls – very good cricket; they needed this. But with five overs to go, they have to put the foot down to reach – plus. And that requires taking a few risks.

4.) (am EST 16:

th over: India (3) Rodrigues , Deepti 36) Missed stumping! Down the legside off the seam of Schutt, but they are the type Healy so often executes so she’s frustrated not to have taken Deepti’s bails. Much as it has been over the last half an hour for India, there are singles from every ball in addition to the legside wide.

3. 79 am EST :

th over: India (3) Rodrigues

, Deepti 38) Credit to India for going at just over a run a ball over the last five overs – it is what they needed to do after losing three wickets in a hurry. They’re advanced the game to the stage where they have a base to crack on from in the final stretch. Who will they really take on, though?

(3.) am EST ) :

th over: India (3) Rodrigues
, Deepti

)

Kimmince is from the old school of women’s cricket, forcing the batters to make the pace. I was momentarily distracted at the end of the over as my baby girl – a week old today – was brought downstairs to me for a cuddle. Winnie is her name. Check out her cricket jumper.

Geoff Lemon Sport (@ GeoffLemonSport)

Adam’s baby is here! And Adam still recorded The Final Word four days later. Can’t stop, won’t stop. This week: BABY. Also our T (World Cup preview with Lisa Sthalekar)

@ sthalekar () , and other nonsense besides.

Listen at:

https://t.co/fq4sNkfjwL pic.twitter.com/bmU8UoMduH (February) , 01575879

(3.) (AM) EST :

th over: India 89 – 3 (Rodrigues) , Deepti 25) Ash Gardner, who dominated that aforementioned 93918 final, is on as Australia’s sixth bowling option now. Deepti Sharma doesn’t mind that though, getting down low to sweep hard and sweep well to the role – India’s first boundary for nearly seven overs. They’ve put on 33.

(3.) (am) (EST) :

th over: India (3) Rodrigues

, Deepti 7) Australia have a variety of options with their fifth bowler and Kimmince gets the first opportunity. She was quite outstanding during their victory against England in the 99108 Final – indeed, throughout that tournament and ever since. A great story too, giving the game away after initially playing international cricket, working in a London pub for a time as she got away from it all. Six risk-free runs are added in her first over as India rebuild their base through these middle overs. Rodrigues has another gear to click into at some stage; I wonder who she will decide to take on? Strano, perhaps?

(3) (am) EST :

9th over: India – 3 (Rodrigues 7, Deepti 5) Clever captaincy from Lanning to bring Schutt back now with the pressure back on India. The South Australian was taken apart from Verma during the power play, hammered for four boundaries in five balls. This time around, she’s very happy to concede six singles. In fairness, that’s good batting from India too – they need to get their mojo back and fast.

Geoff Lemon Sport (@ GeoffLemonSport) This is classic India batting first. No composure, no plan, headless chook stuff without a target to chase. (# T) WorldCup (February) ,

(3) am EST 16:

8th over: India – 3 (Rodrigues 4, Deepti 2) The squeeze is on now. India have moved from – 0 after four overs to 3–4 after four more. Perry gives them nothing this time around, conceding just a couple of singles behind square.

(3.) (am EST 15:

7th over: India

3) (Rodrigues 3, Deepti 1) Deepti is off the mark with a single to finish the successful Jonassen over. I wonder if they would have considered shifting Veda Krisnamurthy – one of my favorite players – up to No5 given how much experience she brings. Alas, we’ll see her later as the finisher, I’m sure.

3 (AM) (EST) : 47

WICKET! Harmanpreet st Healy b Jonassen 2 (India – 3)

The skipper is gone! A dance, a swing, a miss! Healy is very fortunate, the ball deflecting from her pads into the stumps after missing it with her gloves. But this does dampen her celebration: they know how big that is in a major tournament – it was Harmanpreet who destroyed them in the (World Cup semi-final.)

3. am EST : 40

6th over: India

(Rodrigues 2, Harmanpreet 2) Wonderfully dragged back by experienced campaigners Jonassen then Perry, conceding just six runs from the final two overs of the power play and removing both openers in the process .

(3.) AM EST) : WICKET! Verma c Sutherland b Perry (India – 2)

The one they wanted! Perry had an lbw overturned earlier in the over but that matters little now as the danger woman verma is back in the shed. She miscued her pull shot, directing it straight into the hands of Sutherland at mid-on. The end of a dazzling power play cameo from the youngster. That’s a big moment.

(3.) (AM) (EST) :

REVIEW! NOT OUT! Rodrigues is given out lbw to Perry but sends it straight upstairs. She was right to do so, DRS showing that the ball was missing leg.

(3.) (am EST)

5th over: India

(1) Verma , Rodrigues 1) Another shout for leg before, the Australians up when the No3 Rodrigues misses her sweep, but it was sliding down leg on this occasion. Super stuff from Jonassen after the flurry of boundaries in the previous couple of overs, a wicket and just two runs coming from her first set.

()

(3.) am EST :

WICKET! Mandhana lbw b Jonassen 20 (India

– 1)

Manadana tried to immediately put the foot down against the left-arm spin of Jonassen but missed her sweep, going straight onto middle stump. No review required there. It’s early days, but Australia needed that to steady themselves.

3. am EST : 26

4th over: India

– 0 (Verma , Mandhana 20 Bang, bang, bang! Verma goes again, this time at Schutt, hammering her for three boundaries in four balls! What a magnificent start this is for the Indian openers. And it isn’t just the power either, this is class.

Over mid-off with a checked drive, cut away past point then a square drive to die for
with supreme timing. She barely swung her bat! And a fourth

four
to finish the over too, ticking a loose delivery away to the rope. off it! Blimey.

(3.) am EST 16:

3rd over: India

– 0 (Verma

, Mandhana

Verma gets down the track to Strano and lashes her inside-out through cover for four. Shooot. Ohhh and she does it again three balls later, all the way for SIX! Have that! The young gun is away!

Updated (at 3.) am EST

(3.) (AM) (EST) : 20

2nd over: India

– 0 (Verma 1, Mandhana 9) DROPPED! Mandhana dropped by Strano at midwicket from Perry’s second ball. Oh, how costly that might turn out to be. Should have taken it. Dropping catches has been a weakness for Strano in her brief appearances at the top level. Later in the over, the left-hander starts to make the most of her chance, picking up Perry and middling her over midwicket for four. It prompts a change to around the wicket for the final delivery of the over and she misses well wide off the off-stump, called accordingly. Mandhana capitalises on the re-bowled ball, smashing it over long-off for four more!

(3.) (am EST

1st over: India 2-0 (Verma 1, Mandhana 1) As Mel Jones confirms on telly, Strano has picked up Verma five times in seven attempts, the two having squared off against each other on an ‘A’ tour last year. It’s a fantastic start from the off-spinner, too. Verma is of the mark with a push but Mandhana can’t beat the field, her outside edge located and clipping Healy’s glove on the way through to short third. You wouldn’t call that a dropped catch but it is a little victory for the hosts. Just two from the over – outstanding.

Strano is also one of the most entertaining players on the circuit. As Vish hints at here, we were both part of her elaborate recreation of Shane Warne’s ball of the century with Mike Gatting at a Canterbury pub during the (Women’s Ashes.) Vithushan Ehantharajah (@ Vitu_E)

Molly Strano has done many impressive things to get to this moment where she’s starting in a T World Cup at home.

Somewhere on that list is getting Mike Gatting to recreate the Ball of the Century ™ in the foyer of a Canterbury hotel back in (🙌🏿) (# T) (WorldCup

*)

(February) ,

(3) (am EST) :

Strano to Verma it is! What a story for the Victorian spinner. PLAY !!

(am) EST :

The players are on the field for the national anthems.
Australia are huddled up, ready to get into their work. Molly Strano has an impressive record against the wunderkind Verma, so expect to see her bowling the first over. Here we go!

(2) (AM) (EST) :

“Hello Sydney, welcome to the Big Dance.” Get used to this gibberish branding over the next couple of weeks. For those who aren’t from Australia, it relates to cricket inferiority complex with football. A long, weird, unnecessary story.

Thrilled to see Annabel Sutherland given the nod tonight, a true product of the system that Australia have been building with the WBBL and the WNCL. She’s a legitimate all-rounder, able to finish off innings with both the bat and the ball.

(2.) am EST :

The pitch, so says Michael Clarke on the broadcast , is a belter. He declares that Sydney is the best city on earth. Each to their own, Pup. Each to their own.

We’re now getting a bit of the opening ceremony on the coverage, which was (surely) filmed earlier as there are a lot of empty seats as they pan around. Right?

(2. am EST 14:

Australia: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney , Ashleigh Gardner, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Rachael Haynes, Annabel Sutherland, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Molly Strano, Megan Schutt.

India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues , Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

(2) (am EST :

Australia have won the toss and elected to bowl

“We’re going to bowl first and see what happens,” Meg Lanning says in her usual, casual matter-of-fact fashion. There’s a bit of rain about in Sydney, she notes.

Molly Strano is straight into the XI! She wasn’t in the squad two days ago, coming in for the injured Tayla Vlaeminck, and she’s immediately wins her chance. Wow.

Harmanpreet acknowledges that India “definitely” would have bowled as well. Full teams shortly.

(2). am EST : 47

This is the tough group. Make no mistake, qualification out of Group A is a lot more challenging than it is over in Group B, which begins tomorrow when the West Indies play Thailand. The loser tonight will have to overcome New Zealand later in the pool stage to guarantee progress, which is never straightforward.

For India, they are relying on the strength of their top four to pile on the pressure. Since the last time a major tournament was played in 99108, that includes – year-old prodigy Shafila Verma at the top of the list. Last year, at age 27, she became the youngest Indian to ever clock an international half-century. She’ll join Smriti Mandhana, on her day the most effective player in the world. They are followed by the skipper Harmanpreet, who knows all about breaking Australian hearts, then the busy Jemimah Rodrigues, who is going to strength to strength.

While we wait for the toss here’s Geoff Lemon on the journey Australian women’s cricket has been on over the last five years. And what a story it has been.

(2.) (AM) (EST) : Welcome to the Women’s T (World Cup!)

Adam Collins

This tournament, now into its seventh iteration, has been a long time in the making. Australia have won it four times but never played host, which changes tonight when they take the field against India in the first of 31 group games. The prize for the locals is more than the trophy alone on this occasion: to advance to the final would be to turn out in front of , spectators when the final is played on the evening of International Women’s Day, the 8th of March.

But there might be the smallest exposure for the world’s best team, so utterly dominant in this format since they won the title back in when it was last played for – expectations , as Mel Farrell wrote in her preview, can do funny things.

In turn, it’s probably a good thing for Meg Lanning’s side that they face Harmanpreet Kaur’s charges at the sold out Sydney Showgrounds to start this competition in Group A – there will be no crusing against the women in blue. Indeed, it was only a couple of weeks ago that they dropped a T 31 to them in the triseries build-up tournament, albeit before going on to win the final.

Right, more on the teams as we work towards the toss in about ten minutes from now. As somebody who has followed the women’s game closely over the last six years, I’m gutted not to be in Sydney tonight but I’m thrilled to have your back here on the OBO. Are you heading along? If so, do drop me a line . Welcome!

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