At the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Edgbaston in Birmingham, women’s Twenty20 international cricket had the perfect beginning.
Renuka Singh, who was playing in just her eighth T20I, destroyed India’s renowned top and middle order inside the PowerPlay when world champion Australia was down and out at 49 for 6.
Renuka Singh tore through Australia’s batting order, taking four for 18 as they attempted to chase down a target of 155.
As a result, Australia’s top order collapsed. Before Alana King led Australia to victory, Gardner and Grace Harris scored more than 50 runs for the sixth wicket.
A remarkable response by veteran performer Ash Gardner turned the tables on India. Australia overcame India by three wickets thanks to an unbeaten 52 from Ashleigh Gardner.
Earlier, India lost their third wicket when Shafali Verma was removed in the 12th over of the innings, missing her fifty by two runs.
Darcie Brown dealt India a body blow when Smriti Mandhana left the game after scoring 24 runs, and soon after Yastika Bhatia was run out, putting India two down inside of ten overs.
Smriti Mandhana, a superb southpaw who started India’s innings earlier in the day in the manner that has become her trademark, sprayed the off-side with boundaries to reach 24 off 16 balls before she edged behind the wicketkeeper while attempting to stroke a wide outside-off pitch.
The other opener, Shafali Verma, initially took a back seat to her partner before erupting to score 48 off 33 balls.
She was accompanied by her captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, who, off 32 balls, became the first woman to register a CWG fifty.
Renuka’s spectacular opening burst of swing bowling reduced Australia to 34 for four in 4.1 overs, giving India 154 for eight and making them happy.
When Grace Harris attacked the spinners on her way to a 20-ball 37, Gardner was inspired to play her shots.
The leg-spinner delivered some lusty hits with the bat on a day when Alana King struggled with the ball, including the winning runs as the global champion stamped its influence on yet another multi-team competition.
