Australia ensured that they came out intact from the tournament while claiming their fourth victory in group stages. But India's hope for qualification into the semis is contingent upon Monday's final Group A match between New Zealand and Pakistan, since only a victory can help them.
If Pakistan win the game, then India will make it to the semis as the second team through from the group.
Chasing 152, Shafali Verma gave India a flying start with her attacking cameo of 20 off 13 balls, including two fours and a six, before Ashleigh Gardner drew first blood in the fourth over.
Then, Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana threw in a short 13-run partnership before Sophie Molineux provided the second hiccup to India. She sent Smriti back for six, where she was caught in the final over of the powerplay. Then came the captain, at No. 4, to bat Harmanpreet Kaur.
In the next over, Megan Schutt gave another jolt to India's innings after removing Jemimah (16). Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma carved a crucial 63-run partnership, where both batters rotated the strike very frequently and hit loose balls to the ropes.
Molineux broke the partnership in the 16th over and changed the momentum to be Australia's favour. At that stage, India needed 42 runs in 25 balls with Harmanpreet at the other end.
However, India's tail could not cope with the equation and faltered in the crunch situation, leaving lone warrior Harmanpreet with no support. In the final two overs, Indian captain struck four boundaries to give the much-needed boost to the scoreboard. Meanwhile, she completed her half-century off 44 balls.
India required 14 from the last over, but lost four wickets, two of which were runouts. Harmanpreet could only face two balls off Annabel Sutherland's over. India could only reach 142/9 in 20 overs.
For Australia, Molineux and Sutherland shared two wickets each.
Earlier, India suffered a setback before the start of play as Asha Sobhana suffered a knee injury during the warm-up on the sidelines of the toss. Radha Yadav replaced her in the playing XI after Australia's captain agreed to the match referee's request for a late change.
The other change in the Indian side was Pooja Vastrakar, who replaced S. Sanjana, and Australia did not have their regular captain Alyssa Healy (injured) and Tayla Vlaeminck was ruled out, and both were replaced by Grace Harris and Darcie Brown.
Australia did not get the desired start in the powerplay as Renuka Singh, Shreyanka Patil, and Pooja Vastrakar bowled tight lengths on the slow and low Sharjah wicket.
With a four towards point off Renuka on the second ball of the innings, Grace Harris started Australia's innings. Harmanpreet brought in Shreyanka in the second over, and the move paid off as she bowled four dot balls to Beth Mooney while conceding just two runs.
In the following over, Mooney, who was under pressure, tried to flex her arms but only found Radha towards the backward point. On the following ball Renuka trapped Georgia Wareham in front of the wickets to claim her second scalp on successive balls. Stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath joined Grace in the middle.
Pooja bowled the fourth over of the innings and conceded six runs off it as Renuka came back for her third over in the powerplay.
In the final over of the field restrictions, Grace smashed Shreyanka on the first ball for a four but the all-rounder finished well with just seven off it. Australia was at 37/2 after 6 overs.
Arundhati Reddy came into the attack for the seventh over and remained on the Aussie batters' nerves. However, Tahlia and Grace struck fours off Pooja from the last over to add 10 from it.
Deepti Sharma started by giving a tight over as India restricted Australia to 65/2 by half way. In the process, Tahlia became the fastest Australian women's player to 1000 T20I runs. She achieved the feat in 37 innings, one fewer than Meg Lanning.
The 11th over was Renuka's return to the pavilion where she finished her four-over quota with an impressive 2-24. The Australian duo stitched a 62-run crucial partnership for the third wicket before Radha broke the stand. Harmanpreet Kaur dropped Tahlia for 31 off Radha at extra cover in the 12th over before she finally got her out two balls later in the same over. Ellyse Perry came in to bat at No. 5 as Australia were 80/3 after 12 overs.
Grace took in some much-needed pace in the 13th over and hit two fours off Arundhati to add 11 from the over. Deepti, finally gave some respite to India as she took out Grace for 40 in the 14th over. Ashleigh Gardner's stay in the middle was very short as Pooja sent her back to the pavilion in the 15th over.
However, in the last overs, Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse kept the scoreboard rolling. Ellyse was on her merry way and clubbed Shreyanka for a four and a six off successive balls as 14 came from the 16th over.
With Litchfield and Ellyse in the middle, Australia ran 17 runs off the next two overs before Deepti castled the latter for 32 off 23, which also had two fours and a six, in the penultimate over.
Australia lost two more wickets in the final over bowled by Shreyanka before Litchfield ended the innings with a six to post 151/8 in 20 overs.
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