'This one will always be special' - PM Narendra Modi congratulates Indian team for clinching silver at CWG 2022

The Indian women’s team bagged the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 cricket tournament after losing to World Champions Australia in the summit clash. It was a disappointing end to India’s campaign as they settled for second place even after a brilliant fight throughout the tournament, but their efforts did not go unnoticed as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Women in Blue on Monday, August 8.

India’s CWG 2022 campaign started with a clash against Australia as the two teams were a part of the same group. Australia snatched the win from the jaws of defeat as India faced a setback in their very first game. The Women in Blue then went on to win their remaining two group-stage fixtures against Pakistan and Barbados by putting up an all-round performance and making it to the semi-finals.

They then faced the in-form England, the table toppers of the other group, and defeated them by just four runs to become the first team to enter the grand finale. However, things did not go their way and they ended up losing to Australia on Sunday evening. Their efforts were appreciated by one and all, even the opposition skipper Meg Lanning, but PM Modi’s heart-warming tweet made their day even more special.

“Cricket and India are inseparable. Our Women’s cricket team played excellent cricket through the CWG and they bring home the prestigious Silver medal. Being the first ever CWG medal in cricket, this one will always be special. Best wishes to all team members for a bright future,” tweeted PM Modi.

Cricket and India are inseparable. Our Women's cricket team played excellent cricket through the CWG and they bring home the prestigious Silver medal. Being the first ever CWG medal in cricket, this one will always be special. Best wishes to all team members for a bright future. pic.twitter.com/jTeJb9I9XB

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2022

Australia snatched a victory in a thrilling summit clash

Speaking of how the match panned out, Australian skipper Meg Lanning won the toss and opted to bat first. India restricted them well within the limits, and looking at their past performances, it looked like they would clinch a victory by chasing the target of 162 runs. After a sluggish start, Jemimah Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur anchored the innings in the middle overs.

But Australia’s bowling in the death proved to be the winning factor for the World Champions. The required run rate kept increasing and the number of deliveries kept reducing. As a result, India tried their best to cover up the chase in the remaining time but unfortunately, fell short of mere nine runs as Australia bagged the gold medal, making it their third big title in a row after the 2020 T20I and 2022 ODI World Cup.