The stage is set! Destiny awaits! As the pavilions turn blue and yellow for the T20 World Cup final- maiden for India, 5th for Australia!Past testifies one’s chances, hopes for another!
Australia won the toss and chose to bat.And then descends Katy Perry, turning the ground to a carnival! Now this is an International Women’s Day as one of the strongest women, currently pregnant(!), runs around the field with exuberant girls and excited rounds as the Match of the Year kicks off! India comes into this final undefeated under the leadership of Birthday Girl and Superhero Harmanpreet Kaur, while Australia comes in with a single defeat in the opening match against India!Will the result repeat or revert?! Can’t hold onto my nerves!
Opening Batsmen Healey and Mooney descend onto the Melbourne Cricket Ground as Deepti Sharma takes India’s charge! 1st over turns out a mess for India and openers hit 3 fours with a missed catch, and Full tosses by by the baller tackled well by Healy and Mooney. Shikha pandey, with an enviable track, comes next! An okay over with an outstanding jump-block by Jemimah on the last ball! Deepti Yadav descends next. The over was going well but the last ball went wide, flicking from wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia for a four.
32-0 in 3 overs
Rajeshwari Gaykwad comes next. Mooney takes the second ball for a beautiful FOUR! Doesn’t seem good for India! But it’s just starting! She missed a caught-in ball, sensational! Mooney and Healey both escaped being sent-off in the first 4 overs! India are getting hold of their nerves as they realise their first T20 final!The over goes well, 37-0, 4 overs. Shikha Pandey returns, staying her good form.Another misfield costs India a four! India need to buckle up! 47-0 in 5 overs
Spinner Rajeshwari starts the spin and now the match has truly begun for India! Wonderful over as Powerplay ends with just 2 runs in the so-called most difficult of the first 6 overs!
50 runs for the Aussies in 37 balls!
Poonam Yadav bowls a wonderful over as Aussies are restricted to 4 runs! Spin it to win it!Healy is on fire as she hits boundaries and takes impeccable decisions.
Aaand Helay hits 2 sixes in a row against Rajeshwari to propel Australia to 70 runs in 8 overs! Such power!
Alyssa Healy powers to 53 runs in 30 balls! A well played half century! Last 4 runs came against Radha Yadav as she hit another boundary!91 runs completed in 10 overs, for no loss.
Shikha Pandey comes for the 11th over and first ball goes for a 4! India really need to crack some wickets and restrict The Aussies as much as possible! Alyssa Healey hits another 6 as the ball cruises over Veda to cross the boundary. Australia crosses the 100 run mark. Aaand another 6! Aand another! 3 sixes ina row! Healey is somewhere else, she is on another level! 114 for no loss, in 11 overs.
Aaandddd finally Veda Krishnamurthy catches Healey’s attempted 6 as Radha Yadav bowls the perfect trap! Healey is sent off and India is rejuvenated! She was there, the perfect point as Healey batted the perfect shot against Radha’s perfect ball! Lanning comes next for the Aussies. Jemimah gives an edge of the seat moment as she dives to stop a 4, the ball slicks off, she gets up to run again as the ball slithers for a 4! Smiles across!
Deepti Sharma comes next but is plagued by boundary laden over. 135 runs for 1 in 14 overs. Poonam Yadav comes on next. Mooney completes her 50 in 41 balls! 142 runs in 15 overs.
Radha Yadav comes next as Mooney gets another 4 against Radha Yadav. India really really need to keep the score low as much as possible, but it seems getting tougher as Mooney hits another 4! 154 runs for the loss of 1 in 16 overs. 24 balls to go!
Aaandddd prayers are heard as Shikha Pandey executes a perfect catch to send-off Lanning on Deepti Sharma’s ball! It’s lit! Haynes comes next.
Gardner comes off, but goes off just as quickly as wicketkeeper Tania Bhatia stumps her! Gardener ventured out of the crease to play Deepti Sharma only to venture out of the field, totally! 😉 2 wickets in a single over as Aussies are restricted to 157 runs in 17 overs for 3 wickets.
Mooney does a fancy shot as she sends a reverse 4 across the boundary. 12 balls to go!
Poonam Yadav comes on for the second last over. Another wicket falls as Haynes attempts to hit it fine-leg but hits the stumps instead! Poonam Yadav takes this one! 9 runs in this over as Auusies stand at 176 runs going into the last over!Nicola comes next.
Radha Yadav comes on for the last over. Nicola hits a 4. And The Aussie inning comes to an end with 184 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 20 overs!
All eyes now turn to the Blue Warriors after the break!And now it’s India’s turn! Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana walk on.Shafali Verma lifts the first ball sky high, but it doesn’t reach the boundary, and the cheers are cut short as Shafali walks out on the 3rd ball! Schutt bowls , Shafali touches the ball and wicketkeeper Healey catches it! Taniya Bhatia comes on next. She’s hit in the head and undergoes a concussion test. It’s not good as she walks out and Jemimah comes on. She goes just as quick as she sends tha ball landing into Carey’s hands. Bowler Jonassen is rejoiced. Outcomes look extremely grim for India as Rodriguez walks our for duck.
Spirits are renewed as Mandhana hit fours off Schutt. It’s 18 runs for 2 wickets in 3 overs!Carey takes another catch as Mandhana walks back to the pavilion for 11 runs!
Another wicket s as Gardner catches Harmanpreet’s shot. Chances go slimmer and slimmer! Veda and Deepti Sharma stay their sails but are not hitting big.
India has been restricted to 39 runs for 4 wickets in 8 overs. 10 overs, half the game and India stays at 51 runs. Taniya Bhatia has been ruled out due to concussion and will be substituted by Ghosh.
Another wicket as Veda’s shot lands into Jonassen’s hands.Richa Ghosh, Taniya’s substitute walks on next.A few fours but that’s it. India stays at 76 for 5 in 14 overs. Really slow pace as India manages 88 runs for 5 in 16 overs.Nicola takes another wicket as Deepti Sharma’s shot lands in big-hittter Mooney’s hands! 88 for 6 and zero hopes! Shikha Pandey comes to bat next.And she’s out for 2 runs as Mooney catches another of Schutt’s bowled trap!Richa hits a 4 and then is catch-out for 16 runs by Carey. Schutt scalps another in the same over.
97 for the loss of 8 wickets in 18 overs.Jonassen bowls and another wicket of Radha Yadav falls into Mooney’s hands. Rajeswari comes on next.99 for 9 in 19 overs.Poonam Yadav plays the first ball of 20th over and falls prey to Schutt! INDIA is bowled out for 99 with 5 balls to go.
The tables turned! A fifth World Cup for Australia! A huge win! Auusies ahave done it again!
For India,Hurt today, broken NEVER!Hearts crushed, hopes NEVER!A loss this time, again NEVER!
No matter today’s result, We stand with the Indian team today and FOREVER!There’s ways a next time, and time knows we will own it!Long live India!
Onto NEW!
Trailblazers! 
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