ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, Day 1 Round Up – Statistical Highlights

India Women stunned the defending champions and the hosts Australia Women in the opening match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020. India raced to 41 in four overs thanks to a quick-fire 29 from Shafali Verma. However, India then lost three wickets for 6 runs in space of 16 balls. India Women were rescued by Deepti Sharma who scored an unbeaten 49 to push her side’s total to 132/4.

The home team made a decent start in the chase as Alyssa Healy returned to form with a quick-fire fifty. Healy was dismissed in the 10th over at the score of 67 out of which she scored 51 off 35 balls. Poonam Yadav wrenched the middle-order with a 4-wicket haul and was backed by Shikha Pandey who took three wickets to bundle out Aussie Women to 115.

All the statistical highlights from India’s victory over Australia Women in the tournament opener:

3 – Only the 3rd time Australia Women failed to chase down a target in the T20 World Cup. The other two instances are – 8-run defeat while chasing 129 against New Zealand in 2014 and 48-run defeat while chasing 168 against India in 2018.

3 – Number of 4-wicket hauls for Poonam Yadav in the T20I cricket; the most 4-fers for India in Women’s T20Is. Across Men’s and Women’s T20Is, only Yuzvendra Chahal (3) and Poonam have claimed three 4-fers for India.

4/19 – Poonam Yadav became the first player to pick up a 4-wicket haul against Australia in a Women’s T20 CWC match. Sian Ruck’s 3/12 in 2009 for New Zealand Women are the previous best bowling figures in a T20 CWC match against Australia Women.

4/19 – Poonam Yadav also became the first visiting spinner to take a 4-wicket haul in Women’s T20Is on Australian soil. Poonam, in fact, is only the 2nd visiting bowler with a 4-fer in Women’s T20Is in Australia. Jenny Gunn recorded figures of 4/13 in the 2017 Canberra T20I against the hosts.

4 – Taniya Bhatia affected four dismissals in the match – 2 stumpings and 2 catches. She is only the 4th player to affect as many as four dismissals in a Women’s T20 World Cup game. Sarah Taylor (vs SL in 2014), Alyssa Healy (vs PAK in 2018) and Kycia Knight (vs SL in 2018) are the other three keepers with this feat.

15 – Taniya Bhatia affected 15 dismissals in the bowling of Poonam Yadav; the most dismissals by a bowler/fielder combination in Women’s T20Is. Taniya affected 11 stumpings and claimed 4 catches in Poonam’s bowling in T20Is. The duo went past the 14 dismissals by left-arm spinner Sadia Yousuf and Batool Fatima of Pakistan.

16y 24d – At the age of 16 years and 24 days, Shafali Verma became the youngest Indian and the 4th youngest player to feature in a T20 World Cup match (Men/Women). The previous youngest Indian was Latika Kumari at the age of 17 years 157 days against England Women in 2009 edition.

Shafali is also the 2nd youngest Indian to feature in any World Cup match across Men’s and Women’s cricket. Gargi Banerji made his CWC debut in the 1978 edition of Women’s ODI World Cup against England at the age of 14 years and 165 days.

24 – Megan Schutt failed to pick up a wicket for the first time in 24 T20Is. Her streak of 23 consecutive matches with at least one wicket is the longest streak for any player in the T20I format (Men/Women).

50 – Australia Women now have a win percentage of 50 against India in the T20 World Cup; the 2nd lowest against any team for them. Australia and India won two matches apiece in four meetings in Women’s T20 CWC. Australia Women’s lowest win percentage against an opponent in the T20 CWC is 40% against New Zealand as they won two of the five matches against the White Ferns in the tournament history.