Commonwealth Games 2022: Harmanpreet Kaur's India to take on hosts England for a place in cricket final
India Today
The fixture is a repeat of the 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cup semifinals. India and England will meet in the first semifinal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Saturday.
It has once again come down to India versus England in a last-four match. The sides will clash in the first semifinal of the women's cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Saturday (August 6).
The fixture is a repeat of the 2018 T20 World Cup semifinal as well as the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal. India were knocked out at the hands of England during the 2018 event, while India progressed to the final during the 2020 tournament after the semifinal was washed out.
Come the CWG semifinal, India will have to be mindful of red-hot hosts England, who stormed to the knockout stage without losing a game in their group fixtures in Birmingham. India had a horrendous start to their Commonwealth campaign, losing a well-controlled match to the mighty Australia.
In spite of reducing Australia to 49/5 thanks to Renuka Singh's 4/18, India lost the plot as Australia scripted a great escape. India bounced back in the next two group matches, but were not really challenged by Pakistan and Barbados. The games, however, helped India regain the confidence that was crushed by Australia in the opener.
England, on the other hand, had a perfect run in the group matches despite not having their regular captain, Heather Knight, who was ruled out of the Commonwealth Games due to a hip injury. In Knight's absence, Natalie Sciver guided England to finish on top of the group table. The hosts will come all guns blazing in the semifinals as their teen sensation Alice Capsey and veteran bowler Katherine Brunt are in great form.
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, S. Meghana, Taniyaa Bhatia (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana
England: Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Natalie Sciver (c), Bryony Smith, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt.
