India have put up a strong performance in the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2023, winning three out of four matches and finishing second in their group. Their top-scorer Smriti Mandhana and leading wicket-taker Renuka Singh have been in excellent form, which will be crucial for India’s success in the semi-final against Australia.
However, facing Australia in the semi-final will not be an easy task. Australia have been unbeaten in the tournament so far and have a well-rounded team with several match-winners. India will need to be at their best to overcome the Australian challenge and reach the final.
Overall, it promises to be an exciting encounter between two strong teams, and India will be hoping to continue their good form and pull off an upset against the tournament favourites. While it is hard to predict the outcome of a T20 game, India will have a chance if their key players perform to their potential and the team plays as a cohesive unit.
Let’s look at each match that India played in the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2023:
India vs Pakistan:
India started their World Cup campaign with a convincing seven-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan. Pakistan batted first and managed to score 149/4 in their allotted 20 overs, with Bismah Maroof top-scoring with 68. In reply, Jemimah Rodrigues played a responsible inning of 52* off 42 balls to guide India to victory with one over to spare. She was supported by Shafali Verma (33 off 25 balls) and Richa Ghosh (31 off 20 balls).
India vs West Indies:
India had a comfortable six-wicket win over the West Indies in their second match. The West Indies batted first and put up a total of 118/8 in their 20 overs, with Stafanie Taylor top-scoring with 42. Deepti Sharma was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking three wickets for just 13 runs in her four overs. In reply, India chased down the target in 18.1 overs, with Richa Ghosh (44* off 32 balls) and Harmanpreet Kaur (33 off 42 balls) being the top scorers. Deepti Sharma was declared the player of the match for her impressive bowling performance.
India vs England:
India suffered their first defeat of the tournament in their third match, losing to England by 11 runs. England batted first and put up a total of 151/7 in their 20 overs, with Nat Sciver Brunt top-scoring with 50. Renuka Singh was the star performer for India, taking five wickets for just 15 runs in her four overs. In reply, India got off to a poor start, losing Shafali Verma early. However, Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh kept India’s hopes alive. But they eventually fell short, finishing at 140/5 in their 20 overs.
India vs Ireland:
India won their final group match against Ireland by five runs (DLS method) in a rain-affected match. India batted first and put up a total of 155/5 in their 20 overs, with Smriti Mandhana scoring a brilliant 87 off 56 balls. Ireland were off to a good start in their chase, reaching 54/2 in 8.2 overs before the rain interrupted play. Smriti Mandhana was declared the player of the match for her match-winning knock.
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