Australian captain Meg Lanning won the toss and elected to bat vs India in the gold-medal Commonwealth 2022 match at the Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham on Sunday. 

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“We are gonna have a bat first time. Good wicket and great atmosphere, excited about getting out there. We feel like we can put together a good performance today,” Lanning said at the toss. 

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said that the team was ready to do both (bat or bowl first) in the final. The Women in Blue went with the same team that defeated England in the semifinal. 

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“Toss is not in our control and we are prepared for both. We are going with the same team. It’s always important to give your 100 percent and we just want to enjoy every moment today,” Kaur said at the toss. 

In the semis vs England, all-rounder Sneh Rana showed nerves of steel by choking runs in death overs as Indian women’s cricket team pipped the hosts by four runs. 

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Needing 165 to win, England were cruising along at 132 for 3. The hosts required only 33 runs off 24 balls but off-spinner Rana (4-0-28-2) bowled extremely well. She gave away only 3 runs in the 18th and 9 runs in the final over.

England finished at 160 for 6 and even a last-ball maximum from Sophie Ecclestone couldn’t save the day for the hosts with Harmanpreet Kaur’s brigade earning a sweet revenge of the 2017 ODI World Cup final defeat at the Lord’s.

Australia Women (Playing XI): Alyssa Healy(w), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning(c), Tahlia McGrath, Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia(w), Radha Yadav, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh