India play for gold after besting England in thriller

India will play for a Commonwealth Games gold medal after winning a semi-final thriller against hosts England by four runs at Edgbaston.

Smriti Mandhana’s brilliant 61 laid the foundations for India’s 5-164, before England fell short during an enthralling chase despite captain Natalie Sciver’s fighting 41.

India will now meet Australia in the gold medal match (Monday 2am AEST) after Meg Lanning's team had a hard-fought win over trans-Tasman rival New Zealand in the second semi-final.

England will meet New Zealand for the bronze medal earlier on Sunday (7pm AEST).

Hosts England had made a positive start to the chase but lost Sophia Dunkley (19 off 10) in the third over, before teenager Alice Capsey (13 off 8) was run out to leave England 2-63.

Opener Danni Wyatt put on 35 before she was bowled attempting a ramp, but England nonetheless looked to be in control when Sciver and wicketkeeper Amy Jones (31 off 24) formed a 54-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Image Id: D084C272694F46EFA974D5554ECCC616 Image Caption: England opener Danni Wyatt is bowled in the semi-final // Getty

With England needing 33 off the last four overs, India’s spinners piled on the pressure, with Deepti Sharma (1-18) restricting the England pair to three runs off the 17th, and it paid off when Jones was run out the following over.

Sciver found the boundary twice to keep England in touch but when she too was run out in the 19th, her team were left requiring 15 runs from the final six balls.

India’s slow over rate meant they could only have three fielders outside the inner ring for that last over, but spinner Sneh Rana (2-28) kept her head under pressure, securing the four-run win that guarantees India a medal.

Image Id: 1C8A9B59AE544DDDB86C60414A49DF18 Image Caption: A desperate Natalie Sciver is run out // Getty

Earlier, Mandhana gave India a dream start after they elected to bat first on a sunny morning at Edgbaston.

The elegant left-hander raced to a half-century from just 23 deliveries, with Katherine Brunt unable to replicate her new-ball heroics from the previous match against New Zealand, and a move to open with 17-year-old Capsey backfired.

With 64 runs on the board at the end of the power play, India had the foundation for a massive total.

Image Id: 34205CA0D22D45BC83620B2BDD0D4732 Image Caption: Smriti Mandhana handed India a dream start with the bat // Getty

But a double breakthrough helped England wrest back some momentum, as Mandhana and opening partner Shafali Verma departed in the space of five balls.

Verma (15 off 17) had made an uncharacteristically sedate start and teenage left-arm quick Freya Kemp enticed her into going down the ground, only managing to pick out the safe hands of Brunt.

Sciver then claimed the crucial wicket of Mandhana for a 32-ball 61, and England thought they had a third wicket an over later when Harmanpreet Kaur was given out lbw to Sophie Ecclestone, but it was overturned on review as replays showed the India skipper had edged the ball.

That moment proved critical; Kaur managed only a run-a-ball 20 but provided the support Jemimah Rodrigues needed for a late flourish, as she finished unbeaten on 44 from 31 balls, helping India to 5-164.

2022 Commonwealth Games

Australia's squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

See all the Commonwealth Games cricket squads here

Group A: Australia, India, Pakistan, Barbados

Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka

July 29: Australia beat India by three wickets

July 31: Australia beat Barbados by nine wickets

August 3: Australia beat Pakistan by 44 runs

Semi-finals: August 6

India defeated England by four runs

Australia v New Zealand, 6pm local (3am Aug 7 AEST)

Bronze medal match: England v New Zealand, August 7, 10am local (7pm AEST)

Gold medal match: Australia v India, August 7, 5pm local (2am Aug 8 AEST)

All matches played at Edgbaston Stadium. Watch live or on demand via 7Plus