Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav’s wrong-uns bamboozled Australian batters as India opened the seventh edition of the Women T20 World Cup with a 17-run victory at Sydney Showground Stadium on Friday.
Chasing a target of 133, the host team got bundled out for 115. Opener Alyssa Healy (51) did show some fight but couldn’t take her side over the line.
Earlier, India posted 132-4 in 20 overs, thanks to Deepti Sharma, who scored an unbeaten 49 and Shefali Verma for her quickfire 15-ball 29 runs knock. Yadav, for her four-wicket haul, was honoured with the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Several legends of the game, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, ꦆMohammad Kaif, Mithali Raj, along with celebrities like Anushka Sharma and Taapsee Pannu, congratulated the Indian women team on their fabulous win.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Comprehensive performance by Team India to start the campaign!
Congratulations and keep up the good work.— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt)
Whadaay Win. Well done girls. Bowling ♌out Australia defending 132 is an outstanding effort. Congratulations
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag)
Congratulations on a magnificent beginning to the W🔥orld Cup Campaign. Great effort by Poonam Yadav and the bowlers to defend 132 against Australia. Best wishes for the matches ahead
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281)
What a start to the tournament, ! 🐎Beating the hosts and defending champions Australia in the very first game!
Deepti’s resolve put runs on the boജard before Poonam Yadav literally ‘turned’ things around! Top stuff, girls! 🇮🇳👏🏼
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif)
Cong🧸ratulations to the girls on a wonderful win against the Aussies 🎉. Well done Great start to the .
— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03)
Well THAT'S made things interesting, hasn't it? It's wide open now. Brilliant bowling by India and Poonam Yadav's wrong'uns were something special.
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell)
What a brilliant star꧙t to the world cup and an absolutely thrilling victory by the women in blue!! Mazaa aa gaya ☺ 👏🇮🇳✌!!
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma)
Well done girls👏🏼👏🏼🎐👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 that 🤪was a GOOD victory !!!!
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee)
Congratulati♏ons, ! Take a bow, . , very impressive win against the
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc)
An excellent start for the girls in with (49 not out) doing well with the bat, picking 3 wickets and taking 4 wick🍒ets for 19 runs. 🇮🇳 🐟👍🏼
— Jhulan Goswami (@JhulanG10)
Staggering performance by India's women. Australia were favourites for the tournament and this is a huge result. Top effort from the bowlers. How good was Deepti Sharma! But it was the little leggie Poonam Yadav who turned it around.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha)
The biggest problem ꦿfacing tonight was standing in front of at the “Player of the Match” award!
— Alan Wilkins (@alanwilkins22)
Match 1 done & dusted ✅. India ge♛t off to a flying start and continue their success against Australia in events. What a great start to the tournament!!!
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93)
Take your pick blitz, pocket dynamo 4-19, behind the stumps, use of in the 17th… have made a statement 💪🏽
— Mayanti Langer Binny (@MayantiLanger_B)
India extends in winning streak over Australia in ICC events to three. Apart from Healy, no match for India's slow bowlers tonight. Poonam Yadav was brilliant. Will these two teams meet again in the final… or will India face someone else? Full time: India 132/4 Australia 115/10
— Rick Eyre on cricket (@rickeyrecricket)
India opening the World Cup like
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber)
Alex Blackwell says her approach to Yadav and her loopy wrong ‘uns is to play her from the crease. Aus batters ✃take note. Well played India. Huge resultꩵ to start the
— Chloe Saltau (@chloejane32)
Spin To Win. Even in Australia. Winning the game by 17 runs while defending a modest total….that too against the Hosts and Defending Champions—Australia. Take a bow,
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
Mad game this already.
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula)
Brilliant bowling and captaincy 👏
— Damien Fleming (@bowlologist)
