Nov.16 (CRICKETNMORE) - India made a return to the final four of the ICC Women’s World T20 for the first time since 2010, with a comfortable 52-run win over Ireland. SCORECARD
On a pitch that showed some turn and variable bounce due to overnight showers, Mithali used all her experience to build a foundation for India. She combined with Smriti Mandhana to post a 67-run opening partnership, of which Mandhana scored 33. The duo helped India set the base for a safe score, but the India innings lost some momentum towards the end, losing their last four wickets for 27 runs, finishing at 145 for six.
After Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues joined Mithali in a 40-run partnership, but no other batter in the top six got into double figures. Mithali reached her fifty in the 18th over, finishing on 51, making her the first woman to score seven T20I fifties in a calendar year. The eventual win, their third in the tournament, which tied them with Australia on six points, but behind on net run-rate, gave India their seventh consecutive T20I win, their longest streak in the format.
There was little joy in Ireland’s chase, which ended on 93 for eight, as only two batters got past single figures, strangled by the slowness of the pitch and the Indian spinners. Wickets fell regularly and then in a heap, as Isobel Joyce top scored with 33. Clare Shillington set a historic mark for Ireland on the way to her 23, becoming the first Irish batter to score more than 1000 T20I runs.
Match Summary
India: 145-6, 20 overs (Mithali Raj 51, Smriti Mandhana 33; Kim Garth 2-22)
Ireland: 93-8 in 20 overs (Isobel Joyce 33, Clare Shillington 23; Radha Yadav 3-25, Deepti Sharma 2-15)
Player of the Match: Mithali Raj
ICC Media Release