Women’s World Cup - India v Australia Report Card

Featuring sometimes losing, mad figures, the Hulk, snoozing and having Ellyse Perry bat twice

Sometimes Losing
Grade: D

The blockbuster group stage match between ICC-preferred finalists India and Australia began with Harmanpreet Kaur playing blockbuster mind games at the blockbuster toss. After Alyssa Healy called the blockbuster coin correctly and chose to bowl first, Harmanpreet reflected on India’s loss to South Africa. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” she asserted, in a blatant bid to baffle Alyssa Healy.

“Hey, team,” Healy could be heard muttering as she returned to the Australian dugout. “Harmanpreet’s saying that ‘sometimes you lose’. Anybody know what that’s about?”

“No idea, skip,” said Phoebe Litchfield.

“Sometimes you get washed out?” tried Annabel Sutherland. “Is that what you think she meant, Kim?”

Kim Garth looked up, confused. “Hmmm? Oh, sorry. Wasn’t paying attention. Just preparing myself to once again hold the batting together later tonight.”

Mad Figures
Grade: B+

Nevertheless, the India openers were keen to reintroduce the Australians to the ‘sometimes you lose’ concept, racing to a 150-run partnership for the first wicket at better than a run a ball.

Healy rotated through her bowlers in a desperate attempt to curtail Smriti Mandhana’s power hitting and Pratika Rawal’s off-peak power hitting. At one stage, it seemed like the Australian attack would have to follow the lead of their batting from the first couple of matches, only coming good once they get down to their lower order bowlers.

A Mooney-Litchfield bowling partnership coming together, taking eight wickets between them? Who wouldn’t want to see that.

Sadly, before we could get to that, Sophie Molineux broke the opening partnership, on her way to the wonderfully mad figures of 3/75 off 10 overs, including a wicket maiden. Was that good? Was it bad? Nobody knew. Thank you, Sophie Molineux.

In contrast, 5/40 off 9.5 was much more boringly definitive. Shame on you, Annabel Sutherland.

The Hulk
Grade: B-

Sutherland’s onslaught of slower balls and similar skullduggery was the key to preventing India from getting past 350. She picked up regular wickets that saw India stumble from 4/294 in the 43rd over to 330 all out from 48.5 overs. Stupidly, 330 was a subpar score, and Harmanpreet would have been furious with her side’s final ten overs of batting.

Although, admittedly, not as furious as she was with the running between the wickets of Harleen Deol earlier in the innings. While batting with her captain, Deol made the foolish mistake of not agreeing to run herself out when her captain called her through for a suicidal single.