India captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s 52 runs off 32 balls and Jemimah Rodrigues' 43 runs off 24 balls went in vain as the Women in Blue lost the crunch semi-final game against defending champions Australia at Newlands, Cape Town. Meg Lanning-led Australia continued their dominance as they continued their unbeaten run to enter their seventh consecutive T20 World Cup final.
After the game, an emotional Indian skipper Harmanpreet, with tears rolling down her eyes was spotted hugging former captain Anjum Chopra.
Chopra herself was overwhelmed by emotions when she explained what transpired between her and Harmanpreet.
"My intention was to give the captain some empathy because that’s all I can offer from the outside," said Chopra in a video shared by the ICC.
"It was an emotional moment for both of us, India have reached the semi-finals a lot of times and have lost a lot of times. This is not the first time I’ve seen her play like this, I have also seen her battling injuries and her health.
"Today she might not have even played, but because it was the semi-final of a World Cup and she is a player who does not back down, but charges ahead, she did just that," said the former cricket-turned-commentator.
Meanwhile, chasing a daunting target of 173 runs, India sustained a horrendous start with openers Shafali Verma (nine runs off six balls) and Smriti Mandhana (two runs off five balls) failing to perform under pressure. Yastika Bhatia, who came out to bat at No.3, could only add four runs off seven balls to the Indian score before walking back to the pavilion.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and star batter Jemimah Rodrigues then combined for a majestical partnership of 69 runs to bring India back into the contest. But Harmanpreet's bizarre run-out opened the doors for Australia, who used their experience to clinch a thrilling victory.
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