Player ratings as Australia claim T20 World Cup with stunning win over India at MCG
On a momentous night for Australian cricket, heroes were everywhere at the MCG. Here’s how the world champions rated, and the key moments that decided the World Cup final.
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Australia’s key women stepped up when it mattered in a stunning T20 World Cup final victory over India at the MCG.
The names of Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney will forever be remembered by the 86,174 paying punters who were treated to an exhibition of cricket by an Australian team rising to the biggest of occasions.
Here’s how the world champions rated in their demolition job, as well as the key moments that decided the final.
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ALYSSA HEALY – 10
Stunning probably doesn’t appropriately sum up her batting effort given the magnitude of the match, then takes an equally stunning catch first over to remove Indian’s danger woman in a match she’ll never forget.
BETH MOONEY – 10
The tournament’s leading run scorer played the early anchor to Alyssa Healy before dominating the end of the Aussie innings to post the highest score in a women’s World Cup final. Plus three catches, including two rippers. Some game.
MEG LANNING – 7
The captain hit two of her first four balls for four to keep the momentum going, then marshalled her troops in the field with the precision which has become her hallmark.
ASH GARDNER – 5
Coming off a duck in the semi-final was out limply for two, but trying to advance the score late. Took a nice outfield catch and did some great fielding work in the deep.
JESS JONASSEN – 8
Two wickets in the power play for just 11 runs rattled the Indian cage so much the vanquished team could not recover. Finished with three and a great catch too.
RACHAEL HAYNES – 5
Australia’s finisher didn’t have much time to work with and was out looking to be positive towards the end of the innings.
NICOLA CAREY – 7
Removed India’s last batting resistance and bowled more than one bouncer to keep things interesting.
SOPHIE MOLINEUX – 7
The left-arm spinner took a wicket first ball and kept the pressure on when it mattered to keep the Indians at bay.
MEGAN SCHUTT – 8
Stood up when it mattered most taking the first over, and removed India’s biggest batting weapon Shafali Verma for two. Finished with four wickets, and 13 for the tournament.
GEORGIA WAREHAM – 5
Didn’t bat, didn’t bowl, didn’t matter, the young leggie is a World Cup winner.
DELISSA KIMMANCE – 7
Did everything expected of her with the ball, taking a wicket and conceding just over four runs an over.
THE MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
THE OPENING OVER
When the countdown from before hit one the crowd erupted, before receding in to an eerie silence as Alyssa Healy scratched out her guard and Indian spinner Deepti Sharma nervously twirled the ball in her hands.
Those nervy fingers then threw up a first ball full toss which Healy swatted down the ground for four and the roar of the crowd returned.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur had a word to her bowler, but with little effect. The next two balls were two more full tosses, and Healy smashed another four. The Aussie opener was in the zone, and the Indians dazed.
On the fifth ball India’s youngest player, 16-year-old Shafali Verma made an error that could haunt her for some time, dropping a lofted drive from Healy at cover. Unshaken Healy finished the over with another boundary, Australia had 14 runs on the board and all the game’s juice flowing its way.
THE POONAM YADAV SPELL
Australia was so spooked by the performance of the Indian leg-spinner, who took 4-19 in the opening game of the tournament, they hauled in some locals to bowl slow stuff to them in the nets on Saturday.
Yadav loomed as the potential difference, coming on after the Aussies had scooted to 0-49 in the power play. But whether it was the extra net work, or the fact the Aussies were motoring, Yadav was not a factor in her four overs. She had only gone for 89 runs in the tournament before the Aussies took her down for 30 at the MCG.
ALYSSA HEALY MOVES UP TO THE STUMPS
The first over of the Indian batting innings needed a statement.
Indian teenage stage Shafali Verma looked like she had made it when she lofted Aussie seamer Megan Schutt down the ground first ball, only denied a four by the plug the ball made after being hit so high.
Schutt said pre-game that Verma had the “wood” on her after swatting 14 from a single over in Sydney a couple of weeks ago.
But it was a role reversal two balls later when Healy moved up to the stumps and caught Verma who was cramped by a 107kmh shorter, back of a length ball from Schutt which ensured no power play heroics form the 16-year-old Indian.