Australia demolished India by 85 runs to win their fifth Women’s T20 World Cup title in front of 86,174 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It was a near-perfect evening for the hosts, who posted 184-4 after a brutal 75 from Alyssa Healy and opener Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 78.
An overawed India slid to 18-3, with teenage star Shafali Verma falling to the third ball of the chase, and they were never in the game.
Megan Schutt again shone, taking 4-18 as India were bundled out for just 99 with five balls left.
Australia’s performance will be remembered as one of the most emphatic in a final by any side.
The crowd fell short of breaking the record attendance at a women’s sporting event – which stands at 90,185 – but it was an astonishing, atmospheric evening.
Australia were as ruthless as they have ever been to steamroller India, whose heads dropped in the first over of the match when Healy was dropped by Verma.
It means Australia’s dominance of women’s cricket continues – and India, once again, fell short at a global final.
Australia have not dominated this tournament in the way many expected, but they have grown in confidence and produced a devastating display when it mattered most.
They lost the first game to India, were 10-3 against Sri Lanka in their second match and were staring at a tournament exit at various points, but they were able to find ways to win.
Mooney has been superb at the top of the order, while captain Meg Lanning has always offered a sense of calm, both with the bat and in the field.
Australia embraced the raucous atmosphere at the ‘G’ and used it to their advantage, while India, nervous from the very start, crumbled.
It might not have been the competitive outing that was expected, but there is something special about watching a team as ruthless as Australia go about their cricket.
They will be heavy favourites to win back the 50-over World Cup title from England in 2021.
