India skipper Harmanpreeet Kaur’s freak run out in the 15th over turned out to be the spoiler just when the team appeared to be getting the upper hand over Australia in the women’s World Cup semi-final.

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Harmanpreet was close to finishing her second run but when she grounded the bat near the crease it got stuck in the pitch. Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy was quick in removing the bails to dismiss the India captain and bring her valiant knock of 52 off 34 balls to an end. It was a heartbreak moment for the India skipper who then flung her bat away in disgust.

In the end India fell a mere 5 runs short of Australia’s huge total of 172. Australia’s Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning scored an impressive 54 and 49 runs respectively. But India’s sloppy fielding and catching also enabled the rivals to pile up the big score.

India had lost to five-time champions Australia in the previous World Cup final.