The "killer instinct" was nowhere to be seen when Australia put the Indian women's cricket team under the pump but the country's shuttlers and paddlers steamrolled their hapless rivals on the opening day of Commonwealth Games competition. (Twitter/Olympic Khel)Commonwealth Games 2022, Day 1 Schedule of India: The “killer instinct” was nowhere to be seen when Australia put the Indian women’s cricket team under the pump but the country’s shuttlers and paddlers steamrolled their hapless rivals on the opening day of Commonwealth Games competition here. The Indian women’s hockey team was also off to a winning start but it was far from impressive in a 5-0 victory over Ghana in its Pool A game.
Ace boxer Shiva Thapa outclassed Pakistan’s Suleman Baloch in the first round of the 63.5kg category while India expectedly made mincemeat of Pakistan in a lop-sided 5-0 win in the mixed team badminton event. India’s men and women table tennis teams had easy starts to their respective campaigns with twin wins each in their group matches in the Commonwealth Games. Both the teams recorded identical 3-0 victories in their respective matches. The men’s team first beat Barbados before thrashing Singapore while the women’s side prevailed over South Africa and Fiji.
India’s youngest athlete at the Commonwealth Games, 14-year-old squash player Anahat Singh, made a winning start in the women’s singles competition.
Follow all the highlights from Day of the 2022 Commonwealth Games below.
CWG 2022, Day 1 schedule: India vs Australia in T20 cricket, India vs Pakistan in badminton
Malala Yousafzai met the Pakistan team and fans after the WT20 match against Barbados. Pakistan was defeated by Barbados by 15 runs.
Srihari Nataraj qualifies for 100m backstroke final, clocks 54.55 seconds to finish fourth in the second semifinals. Qualifies for the final in seventh place overall.
Abhay Singh beats British Virgin Island's Joe Chapman 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 in his squash men's singles Round of 64 match
Barbados appeal for LBW against Pak batter Omaima Sohail. Ball overshoots, Sohail and Muneeba Ali start to run, then go back, the throw from Hayley Matthews hits the stumps. Barbados take a DRS review for the original LBW, but not before a nice little disagreement within the team. Giant screen first flashes Not Out - dismissing the captain's LBW review. Then flashes OUT, after the umpire reviews the Run-Out. Crowd - bemused and amused - cheers on both decisions. Then the game moves on.
Our correspondent Shivani Naik reports live from Birmingham
The Indian team beats Singapore 3-0, and moves close to a quarterfinal place in the Table Tennis men's team event.
Read: Aboriginal star Gardner, funky-socks lover Grace Harris help Australia win a thriller despite Harmanpreet and Renuka’s heroics
From our correspondent in Birmingham, Shivani Naik.
Read: Call it a post-Black Panther-swag, the African nations sparkled in their jewellery. From Bermudas to Chevron skirts, each nation’s choice revealed their national identity and mood at the CWG opening ceremony.
Story from our correspondent, Shivani Naik from Birmingham.
Read: The high jumper, whose entry to CWG was accepted after a month-long anxious wait, will reach the Games village on Sunday and be competition ready by Tuesday for his qualification round
Read: Anahat’s coach Ritwik Bhattacharya, the former India international, explains what makes her ‘special and unique’
14-year-old Anahat Singh wins her debut Commonwealth Games squash singles match, defeating Jada Ross of Saint Vincent and Grenadines 11-5, 11-2, 11-0 to go into the Round-of-32.
Ten years after first emerging onto the Indian boxing scene as an 18-year-old at the 2012 London Olympics, Shiva Thapa returned to the United Kingdom and in his first bout, he easily dispatched Pakistan’s Suleman Baloch in a unanimous 5-0 decision to walk into the Commonwealth Games Round-of-32 on Friday.
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Read: Inspired by late father, supported by Class IV employee mother, Renuka Singh Thakur rips through Australia in Birmingham.
Sreeja Akula and Manika Batra with the former teaming up with Diya Chitale to hand India a 3-0 win over Fiji!
Indian Women’s Hockey Team beat Ghana 5-0 in Commonwealth Games 2022 opener. Gurjit Kaur, Neha, Sangita Kumari and Salima Tete scored the goals for India.
PV Sindhu has defeated Pakistan’s Mahoor Shahzad in straight sets to give India a 3-0 lead in the Badminton event. Earlier, Ashwini Ponnapa-S Reddy defeated their Pakistan counterpart in the mixed badminton game while Kidambi Srikanth knocked out Mohammad Ali in straight sets. T. Jolly and G. Pullela thump M. Shahzad/G. Siddique 21-4, 21-5 to complete the rout after S Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty thrash Pakistani pair M Ali & M Bhatti 21-12, 21-9 in Men's Doubles. India defeat Pakistan 5-0
Alana King slogs it away wide of mid-wicket for a four and that will do it for Australia. A three-wicket win for the World T20 and ODI champions at the first ever T20 match at the Commonwealth Games. India had the game in their pockets not so long back with Australia seven down for 110. That Renuka Singh spell set it all up for them. Four big wickets in the powerplay, *sighs*. Yet another (there have been too many) solid depth flex this from the Meg Lanning-led Australian team.
This has been a brilliant innings under pressure from Gardner. Gets to her fifty off 34 deliveries and Australia are at the edge here.
Five boundaries for Australia off the last two overs have helped them add 27 runs in the same timeline. 9 needed off the last two overs and the T20 champions look the favorites here.
A pull wide of long on that is assisted by the fielder's dive on its way to the boundary rope followed by an outside edge that goes past the keeper for four and another boundary at the last ball. Alana King and Ashleigh Gardner have added more fire in this already intensely close match. 21 needed off the last 18.
With Ashleigh Gardner in at 30 off 26, Australia still have hope. 36 needed off the last 24 deliveries. Nothing would be left of those nails by the end of this one.
Jonassen had smashed that one hard down towards Sharma who shows tremendous reflex action to claim that caught and bowled. Australia now 7 down for 114.
A first T20I wicket for Meghana Singh and what a big one this is for India. Grace Harris departs at 37 off 20 and Australia are now six down for 100 after 13 overs.
Advances down the track to smash a six over long on. Pulls away a short one for a four. 11 overs off the Rajeshwari Gayakwad over and Grace Harris is shifting the momentum in Australia's favor. 77/5, reads the scoreboard.
Haynes is the next one to go as the Australian innings is on the verge of collapsing. Deepti Sharma takes the wicket while Radha Yadav takes the catch. AUS 55/5 after 8 overs
Indian men's team demolish Barbados 3-0 in the opening round of the table tennis team event. Sharath kamal and G Sathiyan win their respective singles in straight games.
Renuka Singh takes another wicket as she cleans up Lanning and an easy catch by Radha Yadav does the rest. India are in a commanding position now. She gets her third wicket now as Mooney departs. AusW 21/3 after 3 overs.
Healy and Mooney start the proceedings for Australia. Renuka Singh will bowl the first over. She gets the wicket of Healy and Deepti Sharma takes a brilliant catch. That's huge!! AusW 7/1 after 1 over.
Shiva Thapa beats Pakistan's Suleman Baloch by unanimous decision to advance to Round of 16.
Srihari Nataraj qualifies for 100m backstroke semifinals by finishing fifth overall in the heats. Nataraj ended Heat 4 in third place, with a timing of 54.69 seconds, good enough to earn direct qualification into the semis. A total of 16 swimmers progressed to the semifinals.
Two wickets off the final two deliveries off the innings for Megan Schutt and Australia manage to restrict India at 154/8 off their 20 overs. Looking at that Australia batting order and its reputation, 155 doesn't look like a safe total. Big task ahead for India bowlers.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur brings up India's 150 and her 50 with a sweep shot for four. Becomes the first to score a fifty at T20 cricket at the Commonwealth Games.
The Indian captain responds with an aye to the 'we want sixer' chants from the crowd. India 147/6 after 19 overs.
Third wicket for Jess Jonassen in eight deliveries. Gauges well that Harleen is looking to go for the same lofted drive she did on the previous delivery. Easy catch at cover. India six down for 140.
Making full use of her feet movement, the Indian skipper is eyeing the big shots in the dying stages of this innings. Two boundaries off that final Alana King over. That golf club of her bringing big shots for India.
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India falling off the track here. Jess Jonassen picks Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma in her third over. Jemimah Rodrigues finds the fielder at mid off while Deepti Sharma gifts a soft caught and bowled opportunity three deliveries later. India 116/5 after 16 overs.
Back to back boundaries for Harmanpreet Kaur against Ashleigh Gardner. A pull through the square leg region followed by her favorite cut shot. 10 runs off Gardner's final over. India 115/3 after 15 overs.
With a nicely chipped shot over the extra-cover region, Jemimah Rodrigues brings the 100 up for India in the 14th over. Can she partner captain Harmanpreet Kaur in taking India to a big finish?
A BIG WICKET THIS FOR AUSTRALIA!
A flighted delivery down the leg, Verma wanted to sweep, got the under of her glove and Healy takes a very good catch to her left. Was confident, Australia went for a review and got the big wicket. India 94/3 after 12 overs.
India finish sixth, and last, in men's 4000m team pursuit qualifying round, clocking a time of 4 minutes, 12.865 seconds. New Zealand (3:49.821) and England (3:50.798) to fight for the gold medal, while Australia (3:51.274) will take on Wales (3:54.613) in bronze medal playoff.
Screengrab: Sony Liv
A horrible mix up in the middle as Yastika Bhatia, wanting a single, slips midway through the 22 yards and is unable to return back on strike before Alyssa Healy dislodges the bail. India 68/2 after 9.1 overs.
A sweep between deep square leg and deep midwicket, a smash down the ground at long on, a thick outside edge that races past the third man. Three boundaries for Shafali Verma in Tahlia McGrath's first over. After 9 overs, India are 68/1.
FOUR! Yastika hits her first boundary! She slog-swept Jess Jonassenover over midwicket to find the rope. Fifty is up for India. IND: 51/1 in 8 overs vs AUS
FOUR! Shafali welcomes Alana King with a boundary. Nine runs came from King's first over. IND: 44/1 in 7 overs vs AUS
Also here for her first cricket match is 7-year-old Amal, whose parents hail originally from Pakistan. Mother Sabah is a huge cricket nut and wants to introduce her daughter to her passion. "It's women's cricket. That's the best part. I wanted her to watch the best match - India & Australia, doesn't get bigger."
FOUR! Ashleigh Gardner to Shafali Verma and she steps down and plays an aggressive lofted straight drive for 4 runs. IND: 30/1 in 5 overs vs AUS
4,4, and OUT! Smriti Mandhana departs after scoring a breezy 24. Darcie Brown provides the major wicket of Smriti Mandhana, a good length ball, pitching outside off stump, Smriti Mandhana slashes the ball which nips away and it carries the outside edge with it! IND: 25/1 in 3.3 overs vs AUS
CLASS FROM MANDHANA! Back-to-back boundaries for Smriti Mandhana. IND: 25/1 in 3.3 overs vs AUS
FOUR! Off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner comes into the attack and Smriti Mandhana welcomes her with a four. Smriti Mandhana gets to the pitch of the ball and lofts it over mid-off for a four. IND: 17/0 in 3 overs vs AUS
Tad overpitched Megan Schutt and Smriti Mandhana leans forward and caresses the ball through the covers and gets a four. IND: 12/0 in 2 overs vs AUS
FOUR! First boundary of the match comes from the bat of Smriti Mandhana. IND: 5/0 in 1 over vs AUS
Indian openers Smiriti Mandhana and SHafali Verma are out in the middle. For Australia Darcie Brown will start the proceedings. IND: 0/0 vs AUS
Meghna Singh is making her ODI debut.
Sreeja Akula defeated Danisha Patel by 11-5, 11-3, 11-6. India won the match by 3-0. Indian women will be in action later against Fiji at 8.30 pm IST.
"I am ok with chasing and the conditions look good out here. We have quality on our side. We are playing good cricket, and happy with the preparation."
"We will bat first. Looks a good pitch to bat on. We have a good team and hope we can compete. We are going with 3 pacers, 2 spinners and rest is the same."
Harmapreet Kaur has won the toss, and India will bat first against Australia.
Mainka Batra wins the first two games by 11-5, 11-3. She won the third game by 11-2.