Commonwealth Games: Twitter applauds Harmanpreet Kaur’s ‘Captain’s knock’ against Australia – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

India started their Commonwealth Games cricket campaign with a crucial match against Australia. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and India elected to bat first against the current T20 and 50-over World Champions at Edgbaston.

Commonwealth Games: India schedule, Results, Medals tally

The captain led the way with the bat and notched up her half-century on a rather tricky surface as India ended with 154 for 8. India got off to a bright start, courtesy the opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. While Mandhana looked threatening during her 24-run innings, Verma took a few chances and rode her luck to notch up 48.

The Indian innings stuttered in the middle phase, but the captain held the side together and after sussing the conditions, opened her shoulders. With eight fours and a solitary maximum, she got to her half-century in the final over, before being bowled off an inside edge, down the leg side.

For India, Pooja Vastrakar was not available owing to COVID and hence, Meghna Singh made her debut. Indian had just one other seamer in Renuka Singh. Apart from this, they played with three spinners – Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Deepti Sharma, and Radha Yadav.

Megan Schutt, getting out Kaur in the last over, ended with two wickets while Jess Jonassen finished with a four-wicket haul. Although Harmanpreet called the surface a true one at the toss, the pitch looked two-paced.

The highlight of the first innings was the captain and Twitter was thrilled with the performance of the right-hander.

This is the first time that women’s cricket is part of the CommonWealth Games. Pakistan and Barbados are the other teams alongside Australia and India in Group A. Group B is pooled with hosts England alongside South Africa, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. The top two teams from each pool will progress through to the semi-finals.

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