"No team can beat this current Australian side" - Fans react to India facing Australia in Women's T20 World Cup 2023 semi-final clash

India Women's team qualified for the semi-final stage of the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup following their five-run win over Ireland by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method on Monday (February 20) at St. George's Park in Gqeberha.

Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first in their final Group B game against Laura Delany's team. Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana gave the team a decent start through their 62-run alliance before the former departed in the 10th over.

Harmanpreet joined Mandhana at the crease just before the halfway mark of the team innings, with the skipper promoting herself up the batting order to get some hitting time. However, she didn't justify the move to bat ahead of Jemimah Rodrigues as she managed 13 runs in 20 balls without clearing the fence in her rusty innings, where Harmanpreet was involved in a 52-run stand with Mandhana.

Mandhana smashed nine fours and three sixes during her incredible 56-ball 87, her career-best score in T20 Internationals. The opener had luck on her side as she was dropped on four instances before getting caught in the penultimate over. Mandhana's brilliance and Jemimah Rodrigues (19 off 12) late hitting cruised India to a sizeable 155/6 in the first innings.

India got Irish opener Amy Hunter run out on the very first ball of the chase with a combined effort by Jemimah and wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh. Fast bowler Renuka Singh Thakur doubled the blow by castling Orla Prendergast on a duck.

It was just a matter of time before the pressure would shift back into India's corner with the combined efforts of skipper Laura Delany (17*) and Gaby Lewis (32*). The pair found the fence eight times in the powerplay with Lewis being on the attacking forefront.

Two overs after the powerplay bowled by Shikha Pandey and Rajeshwari Gayakwad turned out to be economical for India as only four and five runs were conceded respectively.

Rain drizzle was interrupted just after Pooja Vastrakar bowled two balls (including a wide) in the ninth over. India were five runs ahead according to the DLS method when they walked off the field. Constant drizzle meant there was no possibility of play proceeding further and as a result, India were declared winners by the match officials.

With three wins in four matches in Group B, Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. finished second in the points table below England, who are yet to play their final game against Pakistan on Tuesday (February 21).

India will face Australia, the table leaders of Group A, in the first semi-final match on Thursday (February 23) in Cape Town. Check out the reactions of fans on India locking horns against the five-time T20 World champions.

---

India Women vs Australia Women in T20Is head-to-head

India and Australia have played against each other in 30 Women's T20 Internationals. The Women in Yellow have dominated this contest with 22 wins against India's seven, with one match ending without any result.

The last time the two teams met in a T20 World Cup knockout was in the 2020 T20 WC final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where the host nation thrashed India by 85 runs in the final.