It was the quintessential Australian performance. They had no need for a win in their fifth and last group game, having already qualified for a Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final by winning their first four. India, conversely, desperately needed one to qualify. And it looked as if they had it, after a late surge with the bat to reach 170, then an early squeeze to have Australia needing 86 from eight overs.
Then in a trice it was gone, as an accelerating century stand from Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner squashed the world-record chase with an over and six wickets to spare. Ruthless, nerveless, pitiless.
