Australia "written off" during India semi-final, says Ashleigh Gardner

A 69-run fourth-wicket stand off 41 balls between Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues had India on course for victory before Australia fought back to secure a five-run win

Ashleigh Gardner showed their "character" during their nail-biting five-run win over India in the Women's T20 World Cup semi-finals, stating "everyone had probably written us off".

A half-century from Beth Mooney and runs from Meg Lanning (49 off 34) and Gardner (31 off 18) helped Australia to 172 for 4 before three early wickets reduced India to 28 for 3.

However, a 69-run fourth-wicket stand off 41 balls between Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues put India back on course for victory before a vital run out and some nerveless death bowling from Jess Jonassen and Gardner secured a five-run win and a spot in the final for the defending champions.

"I think at the turnover mark in India's innings, everyone had probably written us off, but I think that shows our character and that's why the best teams win in those types of positions," said Gardner.

"When our backs are up against the wall, we always try and find a way and today we probably had no right to win at one point. They were cruising and we found a way to get some wickets and ultimately came out on top.

^{Beth Mooney scored a half-century for Australia [Mike Hewitt/Getty Images]}

"We scrapped, we fought really hard right to the end and I think ultimately that was probably the difference between the two sides.

"[Harmanpreet] is one of their biggest threats and the way she got out was probably something she would look back on and be pretty frustrated with. But I think it shows as a team that we never give up and [the run out] was a massive momentum switcher for us. They're the moments you really need to jump on and that was probably one of the turning points in the game."

Gardner pinpointed Australia's fielding performance as a particular strength during Thursday's semi-final, continuing: "We showed our class in the field. Ellyse Perry was elite on the boundary – she probably saved six runs herself.

"Dropped catches, missed opportunities, those add up to a lot of runs and I think we took those pivotal moments when we really needed to. Pez was probably the blueprint for our side, certainly on the boundary, and at the end of the day, that could have been something that was the difference between us and them."

^{Harmanpreet Kaur was a thorn in Australia's side [Mike Hewitt/Getty Images]}

For Australia, the win secured a spot in their seventh Women's T20 World Cup final, where they are bidding to capture a record-extending sixth title and their third in a row.

India, meanwhile, will go home empty handed once again but can take confidence from reaching at least the last four in the past three tournaments and winning the inaugural Under-19 tournament in January.

As Gardner herself says, the gap between Australia and the rest is shrinking: "You just have to look at things that are coming into place now: The Hundred, WBBL, the WPL. That's going to grow the game globally and that's what we want to do as cricketers.

"Australia has been the marker for such a long time now and teams are getting closer and we're all aware of that. It just shows to us that we need to keep getting better, keep pushing the boat out even further.

"Just look at how this World Cup has gone. Someone like Sri Lanka beating South Africa, that was quite eye-opening, and it's great to see teams are getting better and being better resourced.

"There's still along way to go for other nations to catch up to Australia, India, England, nations like that. But it is pleasing to see some of the cricket that's being played in this World Cup."