Record run chase takes Australia into Cup semis

The 2022 ODI Women's World Cup is being broadcast in Australia on Fox Sports and live streamed on Kayo Freebies

Meg Lanning fell just short of a century but Australia sealed their place in the World Cup semi-finals with the biggest run chase in World Cup history to defeat India by six wickets at Eden Park.

Australia's World Cup nemesis Harmanpreet Kaur struck an unbeaten 57 from 47 deliveries to take her team to 7-277 despite Darcie Brown's 3-30, leaving the tournament favourites needing to rewrite the record books.

Alyssa Healy got off to a blistering start, striking 72 from 65, and Lanning's 103-run third-wicket partnership with Ellyse Perry kept the target within reach.

The Australia skipper was denied a century when she holed out in the penultimate over for 97 from 106 balls, with her side eight runs short of their target.

But while India's attack led by 200-gamer Jhulan Goswami took the game to the final over, Beth Mooney, ice in her veins, hit a boundary, ran a rapid two, then hit the India veteran back down the ground to seal a famous victory with three balls to spare.

With the imposing target threatening to end their unbeaten run in this World Cup, Healy and Rachael Haynes immediately took the attack to Goswami and Meghna Singh, putting on 50 runs in the first 6.2 overs.

A scrambled single in the 15th over saw Healy reach a 49-ball fifty, and Australia's 100-run opening stand arrived two overs later.

Desperate to find a wicket, India burned both their reviews in the space of two overs, with first Haynes then Healy surviving after being struck on the pads.

Healy looked unstoppable, sweeping Rajeshwari Gayakwad to the boundary four times in an over, and her dismissal in the 20th over seemingly came out of nowhere as she reverse swept Sneh Rana straight down the throat of short third.

Australia went from 1-122 to 2-123 just nine balls later when Haynes (43 off 52) inexplicably swatted at a short-pitched delivery from Pooja Vastrakar.

But Lanning picked up where her openers left off, her half-century coming from 55 balls.

The history of Lanning and Perry in ODI run chases makes for slightly absurd reading: the pair have batted together 14 times in one-day pursuits, with 12 of those resulting in 50-plus run stands.

This time they went bigger as they kept the required rate in check, passing triple figures in the 40th over despite the pressure create by Gayakwad, who recovered strongly after 30 runs came off her first three overs, with just 18 runs coming off her next seven.

An untimely shower interrupted proceedings with Australia still 53 runs adrift of their target, and when play resumed after a brief delay, Perry – who never looked as comfortable at the crease as Lanning – holed out to a Vastrakar full toss for a 51-ball 28.

Lanning fell three runs short of what would have been her third World Cup century in as many tournaments, but Mooney's clutch 30no off 20 balls sealed victory.

Earlier, half-centuries to Mithali Raj (68) and Yastika Bhatia (59) saved India team from an early wobble after they were sent in by Lanning.

Brown, recalled to the Australia XI after sitting out the win over West Indies, picked up where she left off against New Zealand with another brilliant new-ball spell that removed both India openers.

Well-fuelled after consuming a 750g steak at dinner the previous evening with her new-ball partner Megan Schutt, Brown had Smriti Mandhana (10 off 11) edging a sharp catch to Lanning at slip.

Shafali Verma (12 off 16) made an ominous return to the top of the order, hitting Schutt for a six and a four, but was brilliantly caught by Mooney at gully off Brown the following over, the back-up wicketkeeper continuing her trend of trading outstanding catches with her skipper.

A horror 12-ball first over from Perry eased the pressure on India, with the veteran allrounder struggling to find her line against the left- and right-hand pair and conceding 16 runs – 10 of those in wides.

Perry was pulled from the attack and a combination of Ashleigh Gardner, Jess Jonassen, Alana King and Tahlia McGrath kept the shackles on Raj and Bhatia without managing to procure a breakthrough.

Both India middle-order batters brought up half-centuries from 77 deliveries; with 2-144 on the board at the 30-over mark, India had a foundation to launch themselves towards 300.

The return of Brown to the attack in the 32nd over saw Bhatia caught by Perry in the deep, ending a 130-run partnership, before Raj departed in similar fashion to the bowling of leg-spinner King.

Richa Ghosh (8) and Rana (0) followed in quick succession, but Kaur made the most of being dropped by Mooney on 33, forming a key late partnership with Vastrakar (34 from 28) to add 77 runs from the final 10 overs and carry India to 7-277.

Brown was a standout in an at-times wayward Australian bowling effort that conceded 24 runs in wides.

Australia now return to Wellington where they will meet undefeated South Africa on Tuesday, while India head to Hamilton to play Bangladesh the same day.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Jessica Jonassen, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

India XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington. Travelling reserves: Heather Graham, Georgia Redmayne

Australia's World Cup 2022 fixtures

Mar 5: Beat England by 12 runs

Mar 8: Beat Pakistan by seven wickets

Mar 13: Beat New Zealand by 141 runs

Mar 15: Beat West Indies by seven wickets

Mar 19: v India, Eden Park, Auckland, 12pm AEDT

Mar 22: v South Africa, Basin Reserve, Wellington, 8am AEDT

Mar 25: v Bangladesh, Basin Reserve, Wellington, 8am AEDT

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL WORLD CUP SCHEDULE

Semi-finals

Mar 30: Basin Reserve, Wellington, 8am AEDT

Mar 31: Hagley Park Christchurch, 12pm AEDT

Final

Apr 3: Hagley Park Christchurch, 11am AEDT

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports