CWG 2022 / Ashley Gardner's innings overshadowed Harmanpreet Kaur and Renuka Singh

CWG 2022 | In the first match of the Commonwealth Games 2022, Australia snatched the victory from India's mouth and won by 3 wickets. Team India, batting first, had set a target of 155 runs in front of the Kangaroos on the help of captain Harmanpreet Kaur (52)'s half-century. Australia achieved this score on the basis of Ashley Gardner's (52 *) unbeaten half-century with 6 balls to spare.

While defending 155 runs, Renuka Singh gave a brilliant start to Team India, losing four wickets to the Kangaroos for 34 runs. After this Rachel Haynes was dismissed for 49 by Deepti Sharma. At that time it seemed that India would win the match easily, but then on the strength of the brilliant innings of Gardren and Grace Harris (37), not only did they return to the match but also gave the team victory. In the end, Alana King scored a brilliant 18 off 16 balls.

Talking about the Indian innings, apart from Harmanpreet Kaur, Shefali Verma scored 48 runs. Jess Jonassen took the most four wickets for Australia. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Smriti Mandhana scored 24 runs in 17 balls, giving a stormy start to Team India, in the fourth over she was dismissed by Darcy Brown. India got the second blow in the form of Yastika Bhatia who was run out on a personal score of 8. Shefali Verma was dismissed on a personal score of 48 and India got the third blow. Gardner gave Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma two blows in the 16th over. India lost the 5th wicket for 117 runs. In the end, Harmanpreet Kaur played a brilliant innings to take India to a score of 154.