Harmanpreet Kaur's unbeaten 171 helped India beat Australia by 36 runs in the second semi-final of ICC Women's World Cup 2017 at County Ground, Derby on Thursday. After winning the toss, Mithali Raj elected to bat first against a dominant Australian team. Despite losing early wickets, player of the Match - Harmanpreet Kaur played a historical knock in the second semi-final as she belted the strong Australian bowling unit to all over the park. Courtesy Harmanpreet's blitzkrieg, India post a massive total of 281/4 on board in 42 overs.
Pacers - Jhulan Goswami (2/35) and Shikha Pandey (2/17) and provided India crucial breakthroughs at the start as Australia top-order faltered. Young Deepti Sharma was once again among the pick of the bowlers as she picked up 3/59. Alex Blackwell top scored for Australia with 90 off 56 balls. However, it was not enough to see the women in yellow over the line. The Indians make it to their second ever final of the Women's World Cup, the first in the last 12 years. India will now face hosts England in the summit clash of ICC Women's World Cup at Lord's on Sunday.
AUSTRALIA INNINGS
00.20 IST: OUT! Deepti Sharma picks up the final wicket for India. AUS Women 245-all out. India will meet England in the final of ICC Women's World Cup 2017 at Lord's on Sunday.
00.19 IST: FOUR! Blackwell picks up another brilliant boundary for Australia. AUS Women 245/9 in 40 overs
00.14 IST: FOUR! Blackwell moves into the 80s, 11 runs from the over. AUS Women 238/9 in 39 overs
00.10 IST: Good over for Australia as Blackwell hits two more boundaries, 9 off it. AUS Women 227/9 in 38 overs
00.04 IST: SIX! Another maximum from the Blackwell, she's showing some power here. AUS Women 218/9 in 37 overs
00.03 IST: SIX! What a shot from Blackwell, she keeps hitting it out the park. AUS Women 211/9 in 36.3 overs
Fifty for Alex Blackwell. She the lone warrior in this Australian side.
23.58 IST: SIX! Blackwell refuses to give up as she hits another brilliant shot. AUS Women 195/9 in 35 overs
23.57 IST: FOUR! Blackwell hits another one down the ground. AUS Women 189/9 in 34.4 overs
23.53 IST: FOUR! Blackwell dances down and hammers it through the covers this time. AUS Women 178/9 in 33.1 overs
23.51 IST: OUT! Deepti Sharma removes Megan Schutt, India one wicket away from a place in the final. AUS Women 174/9 in 33 overs
23.47 IST: FOUR! Welcome boundary for Alex Blackwell as she hits it behind square. AUS Women 168/8 in 32 overs
23.40 IST: OUT! Unlucky dismissal for Australia as Jess Jonassen gets run-out but that is how the game of cricket goes. AUS Women 154/8 in 30.2 overs
23.39 IST: OUT! Another one bites the dust for defending champions. India is wrapping up quickly at the moment. AUS Women 154/7 in 30 overs
23.32 IST: OUT! Alyssa Healy (5) departs as Jhulan Goswami gets her second wicket. AUS Women 148/6 in 28.3 overs
23.29 IST: FOUR! Top shot from Alyssa Healy, she plays it inside-out over extra-cover. AUS Women 147/5 in 28 overs
23.21 IST: OUT! Shikha Pandey strikes for India as Ellyse Perry (38) walks back to the pavilion. AUS Women 140/5 in 26.1 overs
23.09 IST: OUT! Elyse Villani (75) gone, Rajeshwari Gayakwad picks up the important wicket. AUS Women 130/4 in 24 overs
23.06 IST: 100 Partnership comes for Perry and Villani as they take Australia forward. AUS Women 122/3 in 22.2 overs
23.04 IST: FOUR ! Perry hits the bowl straight down for a boundary. AUS Women 119/3 in 21.4 overs.
23.01 IST: FOUR! Villani hits a reverse sweep for a boundary. AUS Women 113/3 in 20.4 overs
22.57 IST: Rajeshwari bowls a good over with conceding just 2 runs. AUS Women 106/3 in 20 overs.
22.54 IST: 100 comes up for Australia as Perry and Villani partnership conitnues to build. AUS Women 103/3 in 19 overs.
22.52 IST: FOUR! Villani sweeps to get a sweet boundary . AUS Women 101/3 in 18.4 overs.
22.50 IST: FOUR ! And that brings up her third 50 in the tournament. Villani has hit 10 Fours to conjure up this fifty. AUS Women 92/3 in 18 overs.
22.47 IST: FOUR! Villani smashes the ball leg-side for a boundary. AUS Women 86/3 in 17.3 overs.
22.45 IST: FOUR! Villani smashes down the offside for a boundary. AUS Women 77/3 in 16.4 overs.
22.42 IST : Villani, Perry build a partnership of 50. AUS Women 72/3 in 16 overs.
22.32 IST: FOUR! Villani belts the sweep over short fine leg. AUS Women 66/3 in 14 overs
22.29 IST: FOUR! Another good looking shot from Villani. AUS Women 60/3 in 13 overs
22.25 IST: FOUR! Beautiful shot from Elyse Villani as she cuts this one wide off the backward point fielder. AUS women 46/3 in 12 overs
22.19 IST: Dropped and FOUR! This one went through the hands of Shikha Pandey standing at long off. AUS Women 40/3 in 10.3 overs
22.16 IST: FOUR! Elyse Villani smashes it past the backward point. AUS Women 34/3 in 10 overs
22.06 IST: OUT! Young Deepti Sharma removes Nicole Bolton (14). AUS Women 21/3 in 7.2 overs
22.02 IST: FOUR! Bolton quickly goes on her back-foot and hits it extremely hard on the on-side. AUS Women 21/2 in 7 overs
21:54 IST: OUT! Jhulan Goswami claims the second wicket for India. Meg Lanning out for a duck. AUS Women 9/2 in 4.5 overs.
21:51 IST: Pandey bowls fine deliveries as Australia make 2 runs of the over. AUS Women 8/1 in 4 overs.
21:47 IST: A good over from Goswami. Only 1 run conceded. AUS Women 7/1 in 3 overs.
21.44 IST: This is a great start for Mithali Raj and Co. This wicket will give them confidence. AUS Women 6/1 in 2 overs
21.41 IST: OUT! Shikha Pandey removes Beth Mooney for 1. AUS Women 4/1 in 1.2 overs. Shikha Pandey has struck for India in the second over of the innings.
21.38 IST: Good over from Goswami, just four runs off it. Australia women are 4/0 in 1 over
21.35 IST: Australian openers have set foot on the pitch. Jhulan Goswami to start the proceedings for India.
INDIA INNINGS
21.16 IST: FOUR! The last over went for 13. IND Women 281/4 in 42 overs
21.11 IST: SIX! Slightly fuller in length and gets the treatment from Harmanpreet. IND women 261/4 in 40.2 overs
21.10 IST: SIX! The shot from Harmanpreet brings up 250 for India. IND Women 255/4 in 40.1 overs
21.04 IST: FOUR! Full toss outside off and gets the treatment from Harmanpreet. 19 runs from the over. IND Women 243/4 in 39 overs
21.03 IST: OUT! Finally, a wicket for Australia as Deepti Sharma (25) departs. IND Women 238/4 in 38.4 overs
21.00 IST: SIX! Harmanpreet hits another mighty maximum with brute force. IND Women 233/3 in 38.2 overs
20.57 IST: FOUR! Another boundary for Kaur, she looks like a woman on a mission in this big match. IND Women 224/3 in 38 overs
20.56 IST: FOUR! Harmanpreet belted this through at mid-off. IND Women 220/3 in 37.4 overs
20.52 IST: Back-to-back boundaries! 23 runs from the over, a big one for India. IND Women 215/3 in 37 overs
20.49 IST: SIX! Harmanpreet bludgeoning sixes at the moment. IND Women 205/3 in 36.3 overs
20.48 IST: SIX! Top shot from Harmanpreet, she hits it flat and hard. IND Women 199/3 in 36.2 overs
20.45 IST: FOUR! Harmanpreet is milking boundaries at will right now. IND Women 192/3 in 36 overs
20.32 IST: HUNDRED! What an innings from Harmanpreet Kaur. Take a bow! Big match and she brings up her ace game to the table. IND Women 185/3 in 35 overs
20.29 IST: FOUR! This is high-quality stuff from Harmanpreet. She's probably playing the innings of her life here in Derby. IND Women 181/3 in 34.3 overs2
20.25 IST: SIX! Harmanpreet is showing off her brilliance in Derby, the Indian team support staff is on her feet at the moment. IND women 175/3 in 34 overs
20.23 IST: FOUR! Another top shot from Kaur this time through the backward point. IND Women 160/3 in 33 overs
20.20 IST: 10 runs from the over, a good one for India. IND Women 152/3 in 32 overs
20.18 IST: FOUR! What shot from Kaur this time, she once again finds the gap. IND Women 148/3 in 31.3 overs
20.15 IST: FOUR! Harmanpreet swivels and rockets the pull to the right of long leg. She is playing such a crucial innings for India with the bat. IND Women 142/3 in 31 overs
20.10 IST: FOUR! Good shot from Deepti Sharma as she brilliantly uses the pace of Gardener. IND Women 132/3 in 30 overs
20.06 IST: Good over for India as 6 came off it. Drinks are on the field. IND Women 126/3 in 29 overs
19.58 IST: FOUR! Harmanpreet brings up a crucial half-century with this shot. She's timings the ball brilliantly at the moment. IND Women 115/3 in 27 overs
19.56 IST: SIX! That's a mighty hit from Harmanpreet, she simply smashed it between midwicket and long on. IND Women 111/3 in 26.4 overs
19.49 IST: BOWLED! Big blow for India as skipper Mithali Raj departs for 36. Kristen Beams gets the wicket. IND Women 101/3 in 25 overs
19.41 IST: FOUR! Harmanpreet is turning the heat in Derby at the moment. Another good shot from the right-hander. IND Women 90/2 in 22.3 overs
The duo of Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur completes the important 50-run stand.
19.37 IST: FOUR! Very good shot from Kaur as she hits way over the mid-off fielder. IND Women 85/2 in 22 overs
19.34 IST: FOUR! Harmanpreet Kaur hits a much-needed boundary for the women in blue. IND Women 77/2 in 21 overs
19.22 IST: So far, India has not been able to break the shackles at the moment as Australian bowlers are doing a fantastic job. IND Women 59/2 in 17 overs
19.12 IST: 15 overs gone. India have made a cautious start in the big semi-final against Australia. IND Women 55/2 in 15 overs
19.06 IST: FOUR! Kaur hits it straight this time. Brilliant stuff from the Indian batswoman. IND Women 49/2 in 13 overs
19.03 IST: FOUR! A wide half volley, lovely extension of the arms from Harmanpreet Kuar who glides it through the covers. IND Women 45/2 in 12.1 overs
18.59 IST: 3 runs from Megan Schutt's over. IND Women 39/2 in 11 overs
18.52 IST: OUT! Punam Raut (14) departs. IND Women 35/2 in 9.2 overs. Harmanpreet Kaur comes next for India.
18.51 IST: FOUR! Brilliant shot from Raj once again as she's taking the attack to the opposition. IND Women 35/1 in 9 overs
18.47 IST: FOUR! Mithali goes big towards mid-on and gets a boundary for it. IND Women 30/1 in 8 overs
18.36 IST: FOUR! Cheeky from Punam Raut as she plays fine in the gap. IND Women 21/1 in 5 overs
18.35 IST: FOUR! Welcome boundary for India. IND Women 17/1 in 4.4 overs
18.29 IST: Quiet start from India after the early loss of Smriti Mandhana. IND Women 8/1 in 3 overs
18.19 IST: OUT! Mandhana gone for India. IND Women 6/1 in 1 over. Indian skipper Mithali Raj comes to the crease
18.17 IST: FOUR! Brilliant start from the stylish left-hander Smriti Mandhana. India is off the mark. IND Women 4/0 in 0.2 overs
18.10 IST: Both teams are on the ground for the National Anthems.
17.56 IST: India skipper Mithali Raj has won the toss and have opted to bat.
17.51 IST: The revised playing conditions first - 2 bowlers can bowl 9 overs. 3 can bowl 8 overs each. Powerplay 1: Overs 1-9. Powerplay 2: 4 overs at the batting team's discretion.
17.35 IST: Good News coming from Derby!
The ground staff has done a commendable job to dry up the ground after those sharp showers. We will have toss coming up our way very shortly.
16.52 IST: Rain has stopped once again.
16.35 IST: Bad News for the fans! The drizzle gets heavier in Derby.
15.56 IST: Rain has stopped, the outfield covers are coming off. Umpires will soon inspect the playing conditions.
15:28 IST: The showers have finally stopped in Derby, we expect a ground inspection soon. Something to cheer about after the long wait.
"There were quite a lot of puddles and surface water on the outfield," he added.
14.40 IST: 16:38 (IST) is the latest cut off time to get in a 20-over game. However, we have a reserve day as well tomorrow in case of no play today.
14:32 IST: Toss has officially been delayed. The condition doesn't look great at the moment as covers are still in place due to heavy rain.
Squads for India vs Australia Semi-final:
INDIA (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj(C), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Sushma Verma(WK), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav.
AUSTRALIA (Playing XI): Beth Mooney, Nicole Bolton, Meg Lanning(C), Ellyse Perry, Elyse Villani, Alex Blackwell, Alyssa Healy(WK), Ashleigh Gardner, Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Kristen Beams
