NEW DELHI: Australia defeated India to enter the final of the Women's T20 World Cup 2023.  A first-innings total of 172/4 proved just marginally out of India’s reach, in spite of  a terrific middle-order effort that took the game right down to the final few deliveries.

The strange run-out of India's skipper Harmanpreet Kaur with her bat caught in the ground as she attempted to run it in may have been the crucial moment in the game.

The necessity for quick runs at the end proved a little too much for India to handle as they went agonisingly short with the skipper back in the dugout.

Strange run-out denies India's Harmanpreet Kaur Australia has advanced to its seventh consecutive ICC Women's T20 World Cup final and will play either England or South Africa on Sunday in search of its sixth trophy and third consecutive triumph.

Runs were flowing at the beginning of the reply, but Megan Schutt had Shafali Verma stranded lbw for 9 and Ash Gardner had Smriti Mandhana out for 2 to give the Australians a commanding early lead. Moreover, Yastika Bhatia's run-out tightened Australia's hold on the match.

Harmanpreet Kaur joined Jemimah Rodrigues out in the middle at number five after India decided to play an additional batter, and the two immediately began mounting a counterattack.

Since the final Women's T20 World Cup in 2020, the 59 runs that India scored in the Powerplay are the most that the Australian defence has given up in the opening six overs of a game.

In addition, Kaur and Rodrigues put up 69 runs in a quick-fire partnership that placed India ahead of the pace before Rodrigues was dismissed for 43 off 24 balls after flicking a bouncer through to the keeper.

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