Key events
Show key events only
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
44th over: Australia 279-6 (Gardner 18, Garth 9) Deepti, who has bowled much better in the second half of the innings, keeps Australia to four singles. One concern for India is that the ball is definitely starting to turn.
Share
43rd over: Australia 275-6 (Gardner 16, Garth 7) Charani returns for her penultimate over. Gardner heaves a slog-sweep for a single but that aside Australia deal in low-risk shots. It makes sense to see Charani off and target, well, everybody else.
India have fought back well, restricting Australia to 60 for 4 from the last 10 overs.
Share
Updated at 08.49 EDT
42nd over: Australia 271-6 (Gardner 13, Garth 6) Kim Garth gets off the mark with a five, four of them overthrows from Harmnanpreet I think. If India lose by anything up to 20 runs they will reflect on some unusually shoddy fielding.
Share
Updated at 08.45 EDT
WICKET! Australia 265-6 (McGrath run out 12)
Gardner moves into double figures with a majestic shot, slammed through the covers off the back foot. She plays a similar stroke later in the over – but this time it’s straight to Jemimah Rodrigues and McGrath is run out by a mile! There was never a run there, not to Jemimah. Her pick-up and throw to Ghosh were immaculate and McGrath was well short.
Share
41st over: Australia 260-5 (Gardner 9, McGrath 11) Ghosh misses a difficult stumping chance down the leg side when Deepti sees Gardner coming and bowls a deliberate wide.
A few balls are starting to grip for the spinners, which will interest one Australian genius in particular. An otherwise good over from Deepti is tarnished by another delivery outside leg stump – unintentional this time – that Gardner clips for four.
Share
40th over: Australia 253-5 (Gardner 4, McGrath 10) The batters keep coming: Tahlia McGrath is Australia’s No7.
Tahlia McGrath is not a No7, though, and she starts with two punchy drives through extra cover. The first brings two runs, the second a boundary after a misfield. India have been sloppy in the field. A deliberate slash behind square takes McGrath to 10 from 4 balls. No7 indeed.
Share
Updated at 08.35 EDT
WICKET! Australia 243-5 (Perry b Yadav 77)
The TV pictures return just in time to see Radha Yadav bowl Ellyse Perry! It was a fine delivery that skidded on to beat Perry’s attempted cut and ping the off stump. Perry goes for a deceptively laboured innings of 77 from 88 balls. At times I thought she was batting too slowly, but with each passing wicket her runs become more important.
Ellyse Perry’s fine knock is over. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/ReutersShare
Updated at 08.47 EDT
39th over: Australia 243-4 (Perry 77, Gardner 4) Kranti Gaud returns for a second spell. It doesn’t start well, with a bad ball that Perry slashes for four. And now the TV picture is down! Tremendous.
Share
Updated at 08.31 EDT
38th over: Australia 234-4 (Perry 69, Gardner 3) The left-arm spinner Charani, who has quietly been the pick of the Indian attack, gets some extra bounce to beat Gardner. This is an important spell – Charani has two overs remaining after this and could change the game by dismissing Gardner.
She beats Gardner again to end a terrific over. Charani’s figures (8-0-32-2) do not flatter here.
Share
37th over: Australia 233-4 (Perry 68, Gardner 3) Gardner gets off the mark with a fierce extra-cover drive for two off Thakur, who is back in the attack. A decent over from it, with no boundaries and five runs in total.
Share
36th over: Australia 228-4 (Perry 66, Gardner 0) The new batter is Ash Gardner, probably the best most dangerous middle-order hitter in the world right now. But if India get her early, they will be right back in this game.
Share
Updated at 08.21 EDT
WICKET! Australia 228-4 (Sutherland ct and b Charani 3)
India keep chipping away! Sutherland, who almost offered a return catch to Charani earlier in the cover, does it for real when she pushes with hard hands and is safely caught at head height.
Share
35th over: Australia 225-3 (Perry 65, Sutherland 2) Five from the first over after the break. Australia will be eyeing 370 or so from here; India need to keep them to, what, 330?
Share
34th over: Australia 220-3 (Perry 61) That was the last ball of the over, and a good time for a drinks break.
Share
WICKET! Australia 220-3 (Mooney c Jemimah b Charani 24)
India might just be inching their way back into the game. Beth Mooney has fallen, caught at cover by Jemimah Rodrigues to end a busy cameo of 24 from 21 balls.
Share
In other news, England’s men’s team are in danger of missing out on automatic qualification for the next World Cup.
Share
Updated at 08.05 EDT
33rd over: Australia 215-2 (Perry 58, Mooney 22) Perry jhas hit two gorgeous sixes but looks frustrated with her inability to time a number of other attacking strokes. No such problems for Mooney, who charges Deepti to hoick a boundary to cow corner. Perfectly placed.
Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney cross on the crease. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/ReutersShare
Updated at 08.13 EDT
32nd over: Australia 207-2 (Perry 56, Mooney 16) And… action! Perry drives Amanjot devastatingly over long-on for six, the first ball she has faced since reaching fifty. Mooney pulled four earlier in the over.
Share
31st over: Australia 196-2 (Perry 50, Mooney 11) Perry drives Yadav for a single to reach her first fifty of the tournament: 66 balls, five fours and a six. Reaching the milestone may free her up because India are having a decent spell, with just three runs from that over.
India will hope for a reverse of the group game between the sides. On that occasion India were 192 for 1 after 30 overs and looked set for 370 or more. But they lost their way, were bowled out for 330 and eventually lost by three wickets.
Share
Updated at 08.00 EDT
30th over: Australia 193-2 (Perry 49, Mooney 9) Perry has scored only 15 runs from her last 31 deliveries. Litchfield’s brilliance means it’s not a problem in the grand scheme, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Share
29th over: Australia 188-2 (Perry 46, Mooney 7) Mooney gets her first boundary with a sweep off Radha Yadav. India waste a review on an LBW appeal, with the ball pitching a fair way outside leg stump. The keeper Richa Ghosh wasn’t interested but they went upstairs anyway; it was a symptom of scrambled minds.
Share
28th over: Australia 181-2 (Perry 45, Mooney 1) Amanjot has quietly bowled a useful spell: 4-0-17-1.
Share
WICKET! Australia 180-2 (Litchfield b Amanjot 119)
The end of a classic innings. Litchfield premeditates a scoop, misses and is bowled by Amanjot. India needed that wicket like you wouldn’t believe. Litchfield walks off after an innings she’ll cherish forever (if Australia win): 119 from 93 balls with 17 fours and three sixes.
Phoebe Litchfield is bowled for 119! Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/ReutersShare
Updated at 08.00 EDT
27th over: Australia 178-1 (Litchfield 117, Perry 45) Litchfield blasts Deepti back over her head for six, because why wouldn’t you? And why wouldn’t you hack an almighty switch hit over extra cover for six more next ball?
The second six brings up the 150 partnership and prompts an almost awestruck smile from Ellyse Perry. That’s Ellyse Perry, by the way, one of the all-time greats.
Top-level sport is extremely tough. Most players tend to enjoy their achievements after the event rather than during, when everything is too intense and important. But Litchfield is different, certainly at this stage of her career. When she bats, one word comes to mind again and again.
Share
26th over: Australia 162-1 (Litchfield 103, Perry 43) Litchfield is dropped by the keeper Ghosh! It was a tough chance standing up to the stumps, although Dinesh Karthik on commentary thinks she should have taken it. Litchfield went hard at the ball but the actual deflection wasn’t too big.
Share
25th over: Australia 159-1 (Litchfield 102, Perry 41) Litchfield’s brilliance has allowed Perry to cruise along to 41 from 51 balls. There’s a decent argument she should throw the bat, especially given Australia’s depth, but right now it feels like Australia can do as they please.
Share
A wonderful hundred from Phoebe Litchfield!
24th over: Australia 157-1 (Litchfield 101, Perry 40) Sree Charani returns to the attack. Litchfield charges her first ball and drives it sweetly over mid-off to reach a glorious 77-ball hundred. It’s the fastest in a World Cup knockout game, and she’s the youngest – by four years – to achieve that feat.
It’s been a classic Litchfield innings, bursting with skill, intent, imagination and an infectious effervescence. Oh, and boundaries, lots of boundaries: 17 fours and one six. She may have settled this semi-final already.
Hats off to Phoebe Litchfield fro a fantastic century. Photograph: Pankaj Nangia/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 07.30 EDT
23rd over: Australia 152-1 (Litchfield 96, Perry 40) That single over from Deepti Sharma was to allow Amanjot and now Radha Yadav to change ends. Radha goes around the wicket to the left-handed Litchfield, making a bit harder for her to free her arms. Three singles from the over.
Share
22nd over: Australia 149-1 (Litchfield 94, Perry 39) Litchfield moves into the nineties with an edge for four off Amanjot. Nobody under the age of 26* has scored a century in a Women’s World Cup knockout game. Litchfield is 22.
* That was Laura Wolvaardt yesterday.
Share
Updated at 07.22 EDT
21st over: Australia 144-1 (Litchfield 89, Perry 39) Deepti, back on for Amanjot, is reverse swept over short third by Litchfield. That’s her 15th four.
Deepti stops in her delivery stride, I think as a warning to Perry for backing up too far. A repeat of Lord’s 2022: now that would enliven this semi-final.
Share
Drinks
“If you have a moment, could you please explain the fielding stats I’ve been reading over the past week, stating that the team at the top of the fielding stats table in this ODI contest is England?” asks Sarah Bacon. “I am aware that England has improved in a lot of areas since the last Ashes but I’m a tad gobsmacked that they’re number one performers in this area. Happy/not happy to be proven incorrect.”
I’m not certain (about anything), but I think those stats are just percentage of catches taken at this World Cup. They don’t take into account the difficulty of the catches, or misfields etc. From memory England did catch well in this World Cup.
Share
20th over: Australia 135-1 (Litchfield 83, Perry 37) One left-arm spinner, Radha Yadav, replaces another in Charani. Litchfield greets her with successive boundaries over and through extra cover. The first wasn’t perfectly timed but had enough to clear the infield; the second was nailed.
And so was the third, driven over mid-off to end the over. In fact, that’s drinks. This is a wonderful innings from Litchfield, 83 not out from 66 balls. She’s 22 years old.
Share
19th over: Australia 121-1 (Litchfield 69, Perry 37) The medium pacer Amanjot Kaur replaces Deepti Sharma, who wasn’t at her best in a spell of 3-0-18-0. Litchfield premeditates a lap stroke that brings her 11th four; we’re only in the 19th over.
Share
18th over: Australia 115-1 (Litchfield 64, Perry 36) There’s no turn for Charani but she’s bowling very accurately. Her fourth over goes for only two, and one of those came from a partial misfield off her own bowling.
Share
17th over: Australia 113-1 (Litchfield 63, Perry 35) Deepti tries to get herself and her team going by hurling the ball to the keeper, just past Perry’s head. Trouble is, the next ball is on the pads and put away with ease for four. Perry is cruising along and has 35 from 34 balls; Litchfield is on 63 from 53.
Share
16th over: Australia 107-1 (Litchfield 62, Perry 30) That was the last ball of the over. The six Litchfield hit before that was stunning, lasered over extra cover.
Share
Litchfield is not out!
Yep, it was a bump ball – she dragged the reverse sweep into the ground, after which it bounced up and was well caught by Amanjot. The interesting thing is that Litchfield was halfway off the field when Ellyse Perry ran after her to say it was being checked by the third umpire. The technology was pretty clear that it was a bump ball.
Share
Updated at 06.58 EDT
WICKET? This could be a vital breakthrough for India. The ball after driving a sensational six over extra cover, Litchfield scuffs a reverse sweep straight to Amanjot at short third. She’s been given out – but it may have been a bump ball.
Share
Updated at 06.56 EDT
15th over: Australia 99-1 (Litchfield 55, Perry 29) Perry joins in with a gorgeous straight six off Deepti, straight out of the textbook. India are in abundant bother here; since the resumption Australia have scored 74 in 9.5 overs.
Share
Litchfield races to fifty
14th over: Australia 89-1 (Litchfield 53, Perry 21) Litchfield, on the charge, thumps Charani back over her head for four to reach a fabulous, tone-setting fifty: 46 balls, 10 fours. She’s going to be a superstar; even at the age of 22, she’s not far off.
Litchfield’s ODI record against India is exceptional: 561 runs at 70 with a strike rate of 93.
Phoebe Litchfield plays a reverse sweep. Photograph: Pankaj Nangia/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 07.31 EDT
13th over: Australia 82-1 (Litchfield 48, Perry 19) Deepti Sharma comes on to bowl her brisk offspin. Litchfield mistimes a reverse sweep, with the ball hitting the forearm and looping over Ghosh. At first it looked like a chance but it was definitely off the forearm rather than the glove. Instead there was almost a run-out opportunity; the non-striker Perry wanted a quick single and had to scamper back to make her ground.
“India need a Travis Head-esque catch/moment to pull it back,” says Anul Kanhere. “Something to paper over the scars of Australian misery heaped on Indian teams.”
Share
