On this day in 2020: Australia beat India to lift fifth Women’s T20 World Cup title

It was on this day, two years ago, 8 March 2020, that Australia registered an emphatic win by defeating India by 85 runs to clinch the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the fifth time.

Earlier, the Australia women’s team had lifted the trophy in the years 2010, 2012, 2014 and in 2018. They had cruised through to the final of the tournament and were looking to clinch the coveted title once again. Meanwhile, India had beaten England in the semi-finals of 2020 to reach the final and meet powerhouse Australia. The Indian team had also won all their four matches in the group stage.

In the final match of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 held at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia chose to bat first after the coin landed in Captain Meg Lanning’s favour.

The hosts began in a brilliant fashion as Alyssa Healy’s solid 75 off 39 balls and Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 78 off 54 balls helped Australia post a daunting 184/4 in 20 overs. The 115-run partnership of Healy and Mooney had led to an Australian onslaught on the grand occasion.

Healy’s 39-balls innings was laced with 7 fours and 5 sixes before she holed out at the long-on to Veda Krishnamurthy off left-arm spinner Radha Yadav. Mooney then took the responsibility and struck 10 boundaries in her unbeaten knock and took the team close to the 190-run mark.

Chasing a target of 185 runs, India’s Deepti Sharma top-scored with 33 runs while seven batters could only muster single digit scores.

Australia’s medium-fast bowler, Megan Schutt led the bowling attack with four wickets and Jess Jonassen chipped in three wickets.

Schutt took an early wicket by dismissing Shafali Verma after the batter had made just 2 runs and picked her next wicket in the 17th over by removing Shikha Pandey. Richa Ghosh was comfortably caught at midwicket off the bowling of Schutt in the same over and at 99, Schutt took the final wicket by closing it out with the wicket of Poonam Yadav.

The Australian bowlers bowled India out for just 99 in 19 overs to clinch the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 title. It was an emphatic win as India crumbled under pressure.

Australia’s Alyssa Healy was declared the Player of the Match for her power-packed knock of 75 runs off 39 balls whereas Beth Mooney was awarded Player of the Series for her total of 259 runs in the entire tournament.