UNITED KINGDOM: Australia reminded India that they should never be knocked off, even in seemingly hopeless circumstances, as women’s cricket at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham got off to a fantastic start. Australia, chasing 155, was humbled to 49 for 5 after Renuka Singh’s furious 4-for-18 spell.
However, Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris performed a remarkable rescue manoeuvre to secure the victory with 6 balls to spare.
Australia needed 89 runs off the final 10 overs due to an exponentially rising asking rate, which ultimately resulted in a victory. For the first time since 2016, Har was batting in a T20I, hammereld 37 off 20 balls, while Gardner, who remained undefeated on 52 off 35, gave Australia a winning start in their quest for their first gold medal.
India’s spin collapse
Other than Deepti Sharma, every other spinner for India was quite pricey. Particularly the left-armer Radha Yadav struggled on a pitch that lacked the bite needed to succeed.
Harris aimed for the square boundaries on both sides of the wicket when she pitched short, and when she went full, she stepped out and drove the ball straight down the ground.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad, the other left-arm spinner, too had trouble, giving up 24 runs in two overs. Harris and Gardner built their 50-run partnership off 31 balls by succeeding against spin and put the onus back on India.
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