COVID cast its shadow over the golden glow of yet another triumph for Australia's all-conquering women's T20 team on a dramatic end to cricket's return to the Commonwealth Games.
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Australia held on to beat India by nine runs at Edgbaston to add Commonwealth gold to World T20 and ODI success for this green and gold machine.
But it was achieved amidst great drama, with star allrounder Tahlia McGrath allowed to play despite returning a positive test on the morning of the match.
Games officials and representatives from both sides were forced into furious talks pre-game which delayed the toss by 12 minutes, as questions surrounded McGrath's availability.
"We were all happy to play, she was happy to play," fast bowler Megan Schutt said after the game.
"She feels absolutely fine so I think the positive result was a bit of a shock to her, but that's COVID isn't it - we're all going to live through it."
While India maintained a diplomatic line, it is believed they were not as supportive of the decision.
"Before the toss we got to know ... that was something which was not in our control and whatever the decision the Commonwealth had, we had to follow it," skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said.
Ironically, had the game been played in Australia, McGrath would have been forced to isolate for seven days.
As it was, she played - with COVID protocols put in place - leading to a series of bizarre situations.
She had to sit in the dressing room by herself wearing a mask as she waited to bat, and when she took a catch, teammates were warned to stay away.
And when the final wicket was confirmed by the third umpire she went from standing outside the team huddle to jumping into it.
And there she was masked on the podium to receive her gold medal - but no hand shake thanks.
"We didn't want to get in trouble, we felt bad for Tahlia at the end there," Schutt said.
"Obviously when you're part of a game that's so thrilling like that, that's all you want to do (is celebrate) and at the end 'screw it, if we get COVID, so be it."
Added opener Beth Mooney - who starred with the bat making 61 off 41 balls: "It's a real shame that in elite sport you get publicly shamed for having COVID when over here probably 90 per cent of the people in this room have it right now.
"No-one's testing, no-one's doing anything. It's just a real shame she couldn't celebrate with us, but at the same time I think the right decision was made in terms of letting her play.
"Hopefully people aren't too upset about it".
As it was, with figures of 0-24 off two overs and two runs with the bat, McGrath had little impact what was a cracker of a game.
India seemed on track to chase down their victory target of 162 when skipper Kaur was plundering boundaries for fun.
But when she holed out for a superb 65 as one of two wickets in two balls for Ash Gardner - who was brilliant with 3-16 off three overs - India were left needing 41 off 4.1 overs with two new batters at the crease.
"Once she flicked the switch there and started bombing us for fours and sixes we knew we were in trouble ... her wicket, that was the absolute turning point," Schutt said.
They came down to needing 11 off the final over, but Jess Jonassen needed only three balls to finish off the tail.
"It means a lot more than a I thought it did before these Commonwealth Games," Schutt said.
Australia could have made things easier for themselves had they gone on with what was looking like being a big total.
Mooney and skipper Meg Lanning (36 off 26) put on 74 for the second wicket, and at 3-109 with seven overs to go, 180-plus was in the offing.
Australian Associated Press
