Match 1, Birmingham, July 29, 2022, 03:30 PM
India Women
154/8(20.0ov)
Australia Women
157/7(19.0ov)
Australia Women beat India Women by 3 wickets
Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Commentry
Right then, that is all we have from this first game. It was quite a fascinating encounter and there is another cracking contest coming our way shortly. It will be Barbados Women going up against Pakistan Women at 10.30 pm IST (5 pm GMT). Our build-up though begins in advance. So do join us for the same. Cheers!
Earlier in the day, India, after electing to bat, put up a fighting total on the board courtesy Harmanpreet Kaur and Shafali Verma. That though was not enough as Australia chased it down despite being 5 down for below 50. Australia Women were good with the ball as well and that allowed them to chase down this total despite not starting well with the bat.
India started off brilliant, we should actually say Renuka Singh was the tormentor in chief. She got 4 quickly and Sharma also chipped in with one. However, the two did not get a lot of support. The likes of Meghna Singh, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad were quite poor, they just were not upto the mark with the ball. Had they bowled well, the story could have well been different. India will feel, they had the game in their grasp and it will be a difficult loss to swallow.
Let me remind you, Australia, chasing 155 were reeling at 49-5. They lost all the big names for not a lot, the likes of Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath. Meg Lanning, Rachael Haynes all fell for nothing. The run rate was almost touching 9 but Grace Harris counter attacked. She found the boundaries at will and Garnder at that time was happy to play second fiddle. The two added a 50-plus stand in no time but there was another twist in the game as Harris and Jess Jonassen fell in quick succession. Gardner though kept her cool, King too hit a few good strokes to ease the pressure of her and in the end, it is the Aussies who get over the line.
What a win, what a win for the Aussies! They have just shown why they are the best side in the world at the moment! Take a bow Gardner, what a knock. She showed all her experience and took her side over the line with a fine half ton.
In over# 19
4
0
1
4
2
0
Deepti Sharma 24/2(4)
18.6
4
FOUR! That's it! Alana King finishes it off in style! Sharma goes fuller and on off. King slogs it hard through mid-wicket. The fielder in the deep tries to stop it but it races away quite quickly and reaches the fence. Australia Women win by 3 wickets!
18.5
.
Slower through the air, on off. King pushes it towards the off side.
18.4
1
Shorter delivery, outside off. Ashleigh Gardner cuts it to deep point for a single.
18.3
4
FOUR! That should be the killer blow! Fifty for Ashleigh Gardner as well. What a knock this has been, simply brilliant! Gardner steps out and hits it through the gap between mid off and covers for a boundary.
18.2
2
Two more! Outside off, this is cut through point. Two taken.
18.1
.
Shorter and on off, this is played to point.
In over# 18
1
4
2
4
1
0
Radha Yadav 42/0(4)
17.6
1
Shortish delivery on off. Ashleigh Gardner pushes it to long off for as single. 27 from the last two overs!
17.5
4
FOUR! The game is drifting away from India now! This is fuller, on off. Ashleigh Gardner makes room and drives it over extra-cover for a boundary.
17.4
2
Good work by Meghna Singh at long on! Tossed up on middle. Ashleigh Gardner dances down the track and hits it straight down the ground. Singh moves to her left and stops it inside the fence. Two taken.
17.3
4
FOUR! Boundaries are flowing now for Australia Women! Short and wide outside off. Ashleigh Gardner cuts it through point for a boundary.
17.2
1
On the shorter side, around off. King drags it down to deep mid-wicket for a single.
17.1
.
Tossed up on off. King skips down the track and has a mighty swing across the line. However, she mistimes it completely.