AUSTRALIA has got its Commonwealth Games women’s cricket campaign off to a great start, defeating India by three wickets.

Despite a poor performance with the ball, and a disastrous start with the bat, Ashleigh Gardner (52 not out) and Grace Harris (37) came to the rescue and ensured the first points of the Games were heading the way of the Australians.

After electing to bat first, the Indians got off to a pretty solid start thanks largely to some poor bowling from the Australians making their job much easier. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma looked comfortable at the crease before Darcie Brown struck to remove Mandhana.

Despite witnessing Jess Jonassen rip through her batting partners around her, Harmanpreet Kaur was rock solid through the middle of the innings, making a half century in the process. In the end the Indians made 8/154 off their 20 overs, with Kaur’s 52 the top score and Verma making 48.

The score could have been much higher if not for Jonassen, who ripped through the Indian order after she came into the attack mid innings, taking 4/22 off her four overs. Megan Schutt also chipped in with two wickets right at the death of India’s innings.

Alyssa Healy’s dismissal on the second ball of Australia’s reply was a sign of what was to come in their Power Play. They lost 4/34 in just over four overs as Renuka Thakur took all four wickets and ripped through the Australian top order to have the Aussies in all sorts of trouble. Australia was in dire straights and the Indians were looking like they were going to get revenge for the 2020 World Cup final.

But then, enter Gardner and Harris.

The pair got to work, putting on a 51-run partnership to put the Aussies back in contention. After Harris got dismissed Gardner and Alana King finished off the job to see the World Champions home with three wickets and one over to spare.