Tahlia McGrath was allowed to play for Australia in their Commonwealth Games T20 cricket final against India despite testing positive for Covid-19.
The all-rounder is the No1 ranked side’s hottest property and Aussie chiefs were desperate that she started the Edgbaston showpiece. Despite experiencing “mild” symptoms, and following consultation with health experts, team and match officials delaying the toss by 10 minutes, the International Cricket Council gave her the green light.
Under Games Covid rules, affected players across all disciplines are assessed on a case-by-case basis. McGrath, who contributed 126 runs and eight wickets to Australia’s previous four matches, sat apart from her team-mates in the dressing room wearing a mask.
McGrath's involvement is believed to be the first instance in which an international cricketer has played while knowingly carrying Covid. She accepted her gold medal being laid around her neck but neglected to shake hands with Dame Louise Martin.
After the Aussies won the toss and elected to bat, McGrath came in at No4 and lasted just four balls, contributing two runs to a total of 161 for the loss of eight wickets. Radha Yadav took a brilliant catch to dismiss McGrath and India initially looked encouraging in their pursuit.
A half-century from Harmanpreet Kaur led the chase, and she went on to amass the largest run score of any player in the finals (65). But Ashleigh Gardner forced her and Pooja Vastrakar out in quick succession, dampening any hopes India would complete their comeback.
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Those dismissals inspired hope among McGrath and her team-mates, who put a stop to India's inquest. They choked the mid-to-late-order and triumphed by nine runs, becoming the inaugural women's Commonwealth cricket champions in the process.
The was the first time cricket had featured at the Commonwealth Games since a 'List A' men's competition was held at the 1998 edition in Malaysia. That opportunity to celebrate such a rare success may partially explain McGrath's relentless motivation to feature.
Almost a century's worth of Games have produced many a memorable moment on the podium. The image McGrath wearing a mask amid her unshielded fellow champions will serve as a unique entry in the Commonwealth catalogue.
