Aj Singh
An enormous upset appeared to be on the playing cards when Renuka dismantled Australia’s famed high order of Alysaa Healy (0), Beth Mooney (10), skipper Meg Lanning (8) and Tahilia McGrath (14) in fast succession, leaving them tottering at 34/4 within the fifth over.
However, bouncing again from the early setbacks in great style, the seven-time ODI and present T20 world champions then confirmed why they’re the true, unbeatable ‘superpower’ of girls’s cricket. Slamming a match-winning half-century, Ashleigh Gardner (52 not out, 35b, 9×4), Grace Harris (37, 20b, 5×4, 2×6) and No. 9 Alana King (18 not out, 16b, 3×4) displayed the may of Australia’s batting depth, because the gold-medal favourites cantered to the goal with an over to spare.
Gardner and King added 47 in simply 29 balls for his or her unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership, with the latter ending off the chase by smashing off-spinner Deepti Sharma for a 4 to ‘cow corner,’ which is called ‘King’s nook’ in Australia’s due to her success in hitting the ball in that space within the Women’s Big Bash League. King’s strong batting reveals that Australia clearly don’t have a tail!
It was, nonetheless, Harris’ free-flowing, stroke-filled, counter-attacking innings which introduced life again within the Oz chase, which regarded in doldrums until the No. 7 arrived. Harris’ aggression took the strain off Gardner because the pair added 51 off 34 balls for the sixth wicket to carry the Aussies roaring again into the sport. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur gave India a sniff when she took an excellent catch, working backwards at mid-off to finish Harris’ fireworks, however Gardner and King completed off the job for the Aussies.
It’s troublesome to see somebody cease Australia from profitable the ladies’s cricket competitors at this Commonwealth Games, however this was India’s finest probability to drag off a stunner. Sadly, they only couldn’t shut out the sport. India now should shortly decide themselves up from this heartbreak as they tackle Pakistan on Sunday in what’s a do-or-die, high-pressure encounter for them, contemplating that Barbados are the opposite staff in Group ‘B’.
India will nonetheless take coronary heart from Renuka’s scorching present on Friday. Reaping the rewards of sticking to an excellent line exterior off, the 26-year-old speedster from Himachal gave India the proper begin when she had Healy for a duck, edging to Deepti Sharma at first slip of simply the second ball of the innings. Lanning reduce her to level, whereas Mooney chopped her supply on to her stumps whereas making an attempt to chop her. She then cleaned up the stumps of the harmful McGrath with a ‘Jaffa’ because the ball swung in superbly after pitching, discovering the gate between the batter and her bat.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (52; 34b, 8×4, 1×6) got here up with an excellent knock however India completed 10-15 runs under par. Scores: Australia Women 157/7 (Gardner 52*, Renuka 4-18) beat India Women 154/8 (Harmanpreet 52, Shafali 48, Jonassen 4-22) by three wickets.
