New Zealand need only beat Pakistan in their final pool game to advance to the Cricket World Cup semifinals, after Australia did them a favour with victory over India at Sharjah.
Needing 14 runs off the last to topple the reigning champions, the Indians lost four wickets off five balls from bowler Annabel Sutherland and wound up nine runs short.
An Indian win — and a White Ferns victory over Pakistan — would have created a threeway tie atop the group, with only two progressing. Despite beating India in their tournament opener, the Kiwis currently trail their rivals on net run rate and would have needed a huge margin over Pakistan, who beat them in a Twenty20 series in New Zealand last summer.
Playing without injured captain Alyssa Healy and fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, the Aussies set their opponents a target of 152 runs for victory, with opener Grace Harris (40), acting skipper Tahlia McGrath (32) and allrounder Ellyse Perry (32) providing the foundation of their innings.
India lost openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana in the power play, but captain Harmanpreet Kaur took the attack to the bowlers, scoring an unbeaten 54 runs, including six fours, off 47 balls. She and Deepti Sharma put on 53 runs for the fourth wicket, helping their team to within sight of an unlikely win.
Their hopes crumbled, as Pooja Vastrakar lost her stumps to Sutherland and Arundhati Reddy was run out off the next ball. Kaur took a single off the next delivery, but Shreyanka Patil was caught out of her crease off a no-ball and Radha Yadav was trapped leg before wicket off the penultimate delivery.
New Zealand entered the tournament on a 10-game losing streak, but snapped their drought with their 58-run win over India and subsequently beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets.
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