India in trouble, how can they still make it to the semis?

India
Australia beat India to seal semifinal berth in Women’s World Cup. Image Source: ICC

Internet Desk: It should have been Mithali Raj’s day. The India captain became the highest One-Day International run-scorer and the first woman past 6000 runs in the format. She also brought up her 49th half-century, her third of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. But the one column that mattered, the wins, didn’t go in her favour playing Australia on Wednesday.

Poonam Raut scored her second ODI hundred and put up a 157-run stand with her captain, but even the drums and the vocal support from the healthy local Indian community in Bristol couldn’t spur them on. India’s 226 for 7 was never a target to challenge Australia. The world champion’s batting was everything the Indians’ was not, positive and confident, and it completed the chase in 45.1 overs with eight wickets in hand.

Half-centuries from Meg Lanning (76 not out) and Ellyse Perry (60 not out), Lanning’s typically busy and Perry’s typically reliable, in a typically bruising unbroken partnership of 124 ensured Australia barely broke a sweat.

With the win, Australia sealed its place in the semi-finals. After this loss, India are now placed at the fourth spot with eight points. Mithali’s team will have to win its next and final league match against New Zealand to make the knockout stage.

Brief Scores: India 226-7 (Punam Raut 106, Mithali Raj 69, Harmanpreet Kaur 23, Ellyse Perry 2/37) lose to Australia 227/2 (Meg Lanning 76 not out, Ellyse Perry 60 not out, Beth Mooney 45) by 8 wickets.