Australia set India 162-run target in CWG final
Birmingham, Aug 7: Beth Mooney struck a fine half-century as the Australian women's cricket team managed to reach 161 for 8 despite a spirited fielding effort from India in the Commonwealth Games final at Edgbaston here on Sunday.
Australia opted to bat on a bright and sunny afternoon with a packed house witnessing the title clash of the first ever women's cricket competition in CWG history.
Renuka Singh, the stand-out pacer for India in this tournament, once again provided an early breakthrough by trapping the dangerous Alyssa Healy leg before with a delivery that moved in a shade.
The Indians went for the DRS in the last second and it was successful.
Mooney (61 off 41)and skipper Meg Lanning (36 off 26) then stitched a 78-run stand and once again it seemed Australia would bat India out of the game like they had done in the T20 World Cup final couple of years ago.
Lanning made her intent clear as she dispatched a length ball off Renuka over mid off for the first six of the match.
The Indian fielders who are often criticised had a fine day in the middle. It started with a close run out of Lanning and included two fine catches from Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav.
Deepti plucked one off the right hand to get rid of a well set Mooney while Radha took a low diving catch at backward point to dismiss Tahlia McGrath, who played the game despite testing positive for COVID-19.
Australia looked set for a 180 plus total but India fought back in the last five overs taking five wickets for 35 runs.
Renuka ended with tidy figures of 2 for 25 in four overs while fellow pacer Meghna Singh was underbowled as India used seven bowling options.
Sneh Rana (2/38) was the most expensive bowler who bowled their full quota but took two crucial wickets of Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner.
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Ranji Trophy final: Paras Dogra headbutts Karnataka substitute during heated Day 2 in Hubballi
Huballi: Tempers flared on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy final as Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra was involved in an ugly on-field incident with Karnataka substitute fielder KV Aneesh at the Hubballi Cricket Ground.
The confrontation took place in the 101st over of Jammu and Kashmir’s first innings. Dogra, who was batting with Kanhaiya Wadhawan during a key partnership, edged a delivery from Prasidh Krishna for a boundary. Soon after, he exchanged words with Aneesh, who was fielding at forward short leg.
What began as a verbal exchange quickly turned physical. In a sudden outburst, Dogra moved towards Aneesh and headbutted him while still wearing his helmet. The act left players and officials stunned, forcing the umpires to intervene immediately.
Senior Karnataka batter Mayank Agarwal stepped in and confronted Dogra, while the umpires worked to calm the situation. At the end of the over, Dogra apologised, but Aneesh appeared visibly upset and did not accept the apology on the field.
The tension did not stop there. Agarwal and KL Rahul were also seen engaging in sharp exchanges with the Jammu and Kashmir skipper. Moments later, another heated moment unfolded when Karnataka pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak and Wadhawan came face to face after accidental contact during a run. Teammates and officials again had to step in to prevent matters from escalating further.
Despite the dramatic scenes, Jammu and Kashmir continued to stay in control of the match. The team crossed the 350-run mark in the first innings, building on the strong start made on Day 1.
Earlier, Shubham Pundir had anchored the innings with a well-made 121. Yawer Hassan contributed 88 runs, while Abdul Samad added 61, putting Karnataka under sustained pressure in the final.
