Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner’s half-centuries helped Australia reach 171 with an over to spare after India had set a challenging total of 170 for four.
India entered this match needing a victory to advance to the knockout stage after South Africa bolstered their semi-final hopes earlier in the day by defeating Bangladesh.
Australia’s chase commenced with an early blow as Georgia Voll was out on the second delivery, but Perry and Gardner quickly took charge with a crucial 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Perry scored 56 from 38 balls before being dismissed by Shree Charani, while Gardner remained not out on 53 from just 29 deliveries, guiding Australia to victory.
“We knew it was a good wicket and just needed to form a solid partnership,” Perry said after earning Player of the Match honors.
“Now we aim for two more significant games, but our focus is on the semi-finals first.”
Earlier, India achieved their highest-ever score against Australia in a Women’s T20 World Cup, spearheaded by captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s explosive 56 off 27 balls.
Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma set a strong foundation with a 66-run partnership, while Jemimah Rodrigues contributed 34. Harmanpreet later ignited late momentum with three sixes and six boundaries, bringing India’s total to what seemed a competitive score.
However, Australia’s seasoned middle order ensured they chased down the target comfortably, maintaining their unbeaten streak in the group stage with five wins out of five matches.
This defeat dashed India’s hopes of clinching their first Women’s T20 World Cup title and marked the second consecutive tournament where they failed to reach the semi-finals.
Australia will take on West Indies in the semi-finals, while India’s journey concludes, despite securing three victories in the group stage.
