NEW DELHI: India’s must-win T20 Women’s World Cup clash against Australia saw emotions run high as close friends Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues they were involved in a heated exchange after a costly mix-up in the middle.India got off to a solid start, with openers Smriti Mandhana (38) and Shafali Verma (34) putting on a 66-run partnership. However, after Shafali’s dismissal, a miscommunication between Mandhana and Jemimah led to the former being run-out at a crucial stage of the innings.The incident occurred in the 12th, when Jemimah played a reverse sweep from Georgia Wareham to short third man. Mandhana asked for a quick single and went straight away, but Jemimah was watching the ball and didn’t respond in time. Australia quickly capitalized on the opportunity, and Mandhana was run out after a direct delivery reached the bowler.As Mandhana returned to the pavilion, both players looked visibly frustrated and exchanged angry glances. Take a look:Although Mandhana later apologized, the incident briefly sparked a tense moment between the two teammates, who share a close bond off the field.
It’s a part of the game. We moved forward quite quickly”: Mandhana
Despite the middle order struggles, captain Harmanpreet Kaur he produced a sensational innings, smashing 56 runs off just 27 balls to guide India to 170/4. Her explosive batting in the final over, which included three consecutive sixes from Australian captain Sophie Molineux, helped India score 36 runs in the last two overs.Reflecting on the innings and the run-out, Mandhana downplays the incident. She said, “Yeah, I mean, it happens. It’s part of the game. We moved on pretty quickly.”With their semi-final hopes hanging in the balance, India will now look to defend what looks to be a competitive total against the six-time champions.