Australia Beats Pakistan, But Suffers Two Major Injuries

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Australia has secured a place in the T20 World Cup semifinals. But their nine-wicket victory against Pakistan has come at a cost, with severe injuries for skipper Alyssa Healy and bowler Tayla Vlaeminck. Healy went off with a calf injury during a quick second run while leading her team during what seemed to be a trouble-free chase after they had skittled Pakistan for 82 in Dubai on Friday.

Pakistan found it difficult to deal with Australia’s weakened bowling attack as they seized control of the Group A battle. Ashleigh Gardner had a great 4/21, Georgia Wareham had 2/16, Megan Schutt had 1/7, Sophie Molineux had 1/19, and Annabel Sutherland had 2/15. Only four Pakistani batsmen scored in double figures, with Aliya Riaz leading the way with a strong 26 (from 32 balls) at number six. Australia easily won the chase, reaching 83/1 in just 11 overs.a

Pakistan’s Struggles Against Australia

Alyssa Healy led the way with 37*, but the skipper was forced to withdraw after injuring herself while running for a fast single. Australia’s captain, Alyssa Healy, won the toss and chose to bowl first against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The reigning champions took two wickets in the powerplay to limit Pakistan to 23/2 in the first six overs.

Pakistan’s Muneeba Ali was the first to depart, lofting a catch to Phoebe Litchfield off Sophie Molineux for 7. After that, Sadaf Shamas was caught behind Megan Schutt for three runs. Australia suffered an upset when Tayla Vlaeminck was forced to leave the field due to an injury she got on the fourth ball of the inning. Still, Australia proved their excellent depth of quality by picking up two further wickets with their replacement bowlers.

Sutherland Attacks For Australia

All-rounder Annabel Sutherland caught opener Sidra Amin (12) very early. Georgia Wareham, on the other hand, dismissed Omaima Sohail (3), putting Pakistan four down and requiring a remarkable effort to score in a competitive way. Pakistan’s resistance looked to be over when Healy stumped Nida Dar (10) off Wareham, but Aliya Riaz had other ideas, extending the game. Gardner’s three-wicket over put Pakistan on the verge of defeat, and Sutherland sealed the deal when Riaz was bowled for 26 off the last ball of the inning.

Openers Healy and Beth Mooney got Australia’s team off to a flying start, with a flurry of boundaries cutting into the target during the powerplay. After six overs, Australia had reached 46/1 when Mooney was dismissed by Sadia Iqbal for a run-a-ball 15. Sandhu dropped Alyssa Healy (37* from 23) in the outfield, giving her a little moment of rest. She seemed ready to use the opportunity to lead her side to victory.

Conclusion

The Australian captain was injured and was forced to withdraw. This mishap left the field in obvious distress. Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner did a great job. Both Australian cricket stars hit the mark with nine overs to spare, ensuring Australia’s place in the semis. However, the team is going into the semi-finals for the cup a little worse for wear. The 2024 T20 World Cup will include 23 matches divided across 18 days, with all of them taking place in the two host cities of Dubai and Sharjah.

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Article originally written by Zartash Zulfiqar.