IND-W vs AUS-W Prediction: Who will win today's Commonwealth Games cricket match?

India Women (IND-W) and Australia Women (AUS-W) are set to clash in the opening match of the Women’s T20 Commonwealth Games 2022. The Group A fixture will be played on Friday, July 28, at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

This is the first of its kind event in the game and women’s cricket, in particular, at the Commonwealth Games. Both teams are well prepared to come into the competition and will be keen to put their best foot forward in the very first game.

India Women are confident after winning both the T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka Women coming into this Commonwealth Games event. In the first T20I, they batted first, putting up 138 for the loss of six wickets. The side restricted Sri Lanka Women to 104/5 to win the game by 34 runs.

They bowled first in the second T20I and held Sri Lanka Women to 125/7 and chased the total down comfortably with five wickets to spare. India Women lost their final match but sealed the series 2-1.

Australia Women, on the other hand, had a successful run in their recent T20I Tri-Series that included Ireland Women and Pakistan Women. They won two out of their four matches as two games were abandoned due to rain and finished at the top of the table with 12 points.

Australia Women have also won their last two bilateral series against England Women (1-0) and India Women (2-0). They are also high on momentum and are favorites to bag the gold medal here.

---

Will India Women (IND-W) beat Australia Women (AUS-W)?

India Women performed as a unit and put up a collective effort against Sri Lanka Women on the white-ball tour. The likes of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma were impressive with the bat.

Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with her all-round display while Renuka Singh and Rajeshwari Gayakwad did well with the ball. They have a good mix of senior players and youngsters in the side.

Playing in the English conditions, however, will be a different ball game altogether for the Indian Women. The Women in Blue do not have a promising record against Australian Women in the recent past and particularly in global events, losing to them in the final of the T20 Women’s World Cup in 2020 as well.

Both sides have faced each other 23 times in T20Is. Australia Women have won 16 times while India Women have come out on top on only six occasions. Quite clearly, the Southern Stars have a dominant record against the Women in Blue.

Australian Women have quite a few seasoned campaigners in their side who know how to win games at the biggest of stages as well. They are the top-most ranked team in Women’s T20Is and are undoubtedly one of the toughest sides in this Commonwealth Games event.

India Women will need all of their players to step up and will have to be on their toes if they are to beat their opponents in the opening match of the Women's T20 Commonwealth Games.

---

Prediction: Australia Women (AUS-W) to win