ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, India vs Australia: 5 things that went wrong for the defending champions

#4) Lost Elyse Villani at the wrong time

Had she stayed there till the end, the result might well have been in Australia’s favour

Ellyse Perry and Elyse Villani had resurrected the Australian innings with a superb stand of 105 runs between them. While Villani was hammering the Indian bowlers at one end, Perry kept playing the second fiddle to her.

None of the Indian bowlers could trouble them in that period of time. Villani had made her way to 75 runs off just 57 deliveries when Australia were looking the up the ante further in the 24th over. Perry too had supported her well with 20-odd runs.

However, Villani went for a rash lofted on-drive off Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s bowling and Smriti Mandhana pulled off a superb catch at mid-on to bring an end to her superb innings. Had she stayed there till the end, the result might well have been in Australia’s favour.