CWG 2022: Women must climb a mountain to win India's first cricket medal

A few possible scenarios on how Indian women's cricket team can bag a medal at upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana. Photo: PTI
Abhishek Singh New Delhi
4 min read Last Updated : Jul 26 2022 | 9:53 PM IST
Smriti Mandhana, a key part of Indian women's cricket team, said that the country’s chances of winning a medal at the upcoming Commonwealth Games are very high, while adding she would want nothing less than gold. “Our preparations have been good and we are gunning for the gold, just not a podium finish," she said.

But is winning gold, or for that matter any medal in the competitive field of women’s cricket, at Birmingham 2022 going to be easy?

No hiccups seen in the initial phase

The Indian team would not like to give much importance to Australia, who are their toughest opponent at the group stage. “We have played them (Australia) in the openers in quite a lot of tournaments. In a T20 tournament, any team can beat any team. I wouldn't term Australia as a big team and make them feel good about that,” Mandhana said in a video uploaded by BCCI Women’s Twitter handle. 
But as much as she wants to put India and Australia on an equal footing, the records won’t let the audiences believe it. In the 23 games that have been played between the two sides, the team from Down Under has emerged victorious in 16 while women in blue have won only six matches. 

However, apart from Australia, the other two teams in India’s group i.e. Pakistan and Barbados (West Indies’ representative for CWG) haven’t had the upper hand against the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side. India have beaten arch-rivals Pakistan nine times out of 11 and outsmarted West Indies 10 times out of 18. Thus, India can fancy themselves beating Barbados (curtailed version of West Indies) easily. Hence, reaching the semi-finals is not a big issue. 

Battling fear in the semis

The main test for the Indian team would begin in the semi-final where it will have to face either England, South Africa or New Zealand from Group B. India are part of Group A. Group B also has Sri Lanka. 

India would most probably face England as the hosts are being tipped to top their group despite being pitted against New Zealand and South Africa. They have recently beaten South Africa who are already playing without their two top players in Lizelle Lee and Marizanne Kapp. Against New Zealand too, the English team has an upper hand having defeated the White Ferns 22 times in 28 games.
However, if India manages to beat Australia in the group stage, they can avoid facing England. India’s record against the English women has been very dismal. They have lost 17 times in 22 meetings. India haven't been good against New Zealand either. The Indian women have beaten the women from the Kiwi nation only four times in 13 games.

Things are not going to be easy for India in the semi-final and the 11 ladies that take the field on that day would have to play nothing less than terrific cricket to get into the final and secure India’s first medal in cricket at Commonwealth Games. 

What if India don’t make it to the final?

Looking at Mandhana’s confidence, India would be hoping for nothing less than a place in the final. But if, by any chance, they fail to do so, they would have another go at a medal (bronze), playing the other losing semi-finalist. Thus on August 07, 2022, the day of the gold medal match, India would be able to secure at least one medal. 

To secure the bronze though, they would have to once again give their best. The team that India will face would also be coming in with a loss in their previous tie. 
Cricket was once played at the Kuala Lampur Commonwealth Games in 1998. South Africa won the gold by beating Australia in the final while New Zealand won the bronze by beating Sri Lanka. India, a cricketing powerhouse, has remained medal-less in the sport even after participating in the 1998 edition.

One subscription. Two world-class reads.

Already subscribed? Log in

Subscribe to read the full story →
Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

Topics :Commonwealth GamesWomen cricket IndiaCricketIndia cricket teamHarmanpreet kaurIndian CricketOlympic medalsT20 cricketCricketersCWGBCCI

Next Story