ICC Women's World Cup: Australia thrash India by 8 wickets

Bristol [England] July 12 (ANI): Australia on Wednesday thrashed India by eight wickets in ICC Women's World Cup league match here to reach in the semi-final. Batting first, India scored 276 runs in 50 overs on a slow turner in Bristol after losing seven wickets. India suffered an initial setback when Gardner sent opener Smriti Mandhana to pavilion in fourth over with only nine runs on the board. Another opener Punam Raut scored an impressive century and made 106 runs in 136 balls with 11 boundaries. She and skipper Mithali Raj had a second-wicket partnership of 157-run. Mithali was caught and bowled by Kristen Beams in 41st over. Raj scored 69 runs in 114 deliveries. India's third wicket fell in 47th over when Ellyse Perry took Raut's wicket. Harmanpreet Kaur was the only other Indian who reached double figure. She scored 23 runs. Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry took two wickets each. Perry was the most economical bowler who gave away only 37 runs in 10 overs. The Aussie openers Nicole Bolton and Beth Mooney gave Australia an impressive start and scored 62 runs for the first wicket partnership. Bolton was the first to depart on in the 16th over. She scored 36 runs in 48 balls before becoming victim of Poonam Yadav. Mooney was run out in 23rd over. She scored 45 runs in 68 balls. Aussie captain Meg Lanning and all rounder Ellyse Perry stood firm against the Indian bowling attack. The pair successfully chased the target of 277 runs in 45.1 overs. Lanning and Perry remained not out on 76 and 60 respectively. It was Perry's fourth successive fifty. Indian spinners failed to dent the Australian batting and gave away a combined 183 in 34 overs. India will now have to beat New Zealand in their final group game on Sunday to make it through to the semi-final. (ANI)