Australia overcomes Alyssa Healy absence to beat India in wake of sad T20 World Cup blow

Australia has cemented its spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup after brushing off the absence of star skipper Alyssa Healy to beat India by nine runs in Sharjah. The crucial win means the Aussies remain unbeaten and leaves second-placed India needing Pakistan to beat New Zealand in their final group game - while staying ahead of both teams on net run rate - to progress.

Tahlia McGrath assumed the captaincy in style after Healy's foot injury from the previous game against Pakistan kept her sidelined against the Indians. While there are still question marks around the extent of the injury and Healy's participation in the rest of the tournament, the Aussies have been rocked by news pace bowler Tayla Vlaeminck has been ruled out of the World Cup.

Vlaeminck suffered a tournament-ending shoulder injury while fielding in the opening minutes of the nine-wicket win over Pakistan, with Australia rushing in all-rounder Heather Graham as her injury replacement. Australia are still sweating on the fitness of Healy, with a team official declaring her availability for the knock-out stage "will be determined in due course".

Healy was seen on crutches and sporting a moon boot on her troublesome foot when she arrived at the stadium in Sharjah. Australia's skipper and star batter was in good spirits as she hopped off the team bus and had a quick word with awaiting reporters but her fitness could prove key to Australia's hopes of defending their T20 World Cup title.

Tahlia McGrath leads unbeaten Aussies to nine-run win

McGrath led the side with distinction in the absence of Healy though, hitting a vital 32 (off 26 balls) to steady the ship after a top order collapse. Grace Harris top-scored with Australia after hitting 40 off 41 balls but the Aussies looked in trouble after choosing to bat first, with Renuka Singh dismissing Beth Mooney and Georgia Wareham in successive deliveries.

The stand-in Aussie skipper and Harris combined for a 62-run partnership, while Ellyse Perry also chipped in with a crucial mid-innings contribution. Perry hit one of only two sixes in the innings in a lively 23-ball effort that yielded 32 runs. Phoebe Litchfield (15 no) hit the other six off the final ball of the innings to propel Australia to 8-151.

The Aussies then restricted India to 9-142 - thanks in large part to four wickets in Annabel Sutherland's final over. India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's unbeaten 54 threatened to steer India to an unlikely win but they couldn't muster the 14 runs required off Sutherland's final over.

Sutherland (2-22) was the pick of Australia's bowlers but it was Sophie Molineux (2-32) who was named player of the match after grabbing the key scalps of Deepti Sharma (29 off 25) and Smriti Mandhana (6 off 12). India's loss means they will be eliminated if New Zealand beat Pakistan on Monday, or if Pakistan wins and overtakes them on net run rate.

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The Australian bowlers all contributed superbly, with the miserly Schutt (1-25) having Jemimah Rodrigues caught at deep-midwicket by Ash Gardner (1-32), who herself tempted big-hitting Shafali Verma (20 off 13) to pick out Sutherland at long-on. Molineux's key scalps get Australia on the front foot and Sutherland finished off the job in a dramatic final over to silence the largely pro-Indian crowd.

Sutherland was immaculate as she clean-bowled the threatening Pooja Vastraka and trapped Radha Yadav lbw to seal the deal and keep Australia's unbeaten run alive. "We want to win every game we play," stand-in captain McGrath said after the game. "We knew it was going to be a really big challenge for us today. They came really hard at us, and I am just really proud of the group. We kept our nerve at the end there."

with AAP