How Charani changed the semi-final

On a day when most of India’s bowlers went for plenty, the youngest player in the squad, Shree Charani --the bandannawearing left-arm orthodox spinner from Andhra Pradesh - held her own.

- Rasesh Mandani

India's Shree Charani (R) celebrates after taking the wicket of Annabel Sutherland.

(PTI)

At the innings break, the 21-year-old’s spell of 10-0-49-2 had given India the slightest of hopes but in a knockout game of fine margins, it was all Harmanpreet and Co needed.

From being 180/1 in the 28th over before the destructive Phoebe Litchfield was dismissed, Australia were slowed to reach 234/4 after 38. The defending champions picked up pace at the back end to finish on 338, but by Litchfield’s own admission of the thinking in the change room at the innings break, they had “left some runs behind”.

Those runs came back to bite them and Charani was the main reason why.