Riding on pacer Kranti Goud’s impressive 3-20 (off 10 overs), Harleen Deol’s composed 46-run knock and Richa Ghosh’s spirited late cameo of 35 not out, India beat Pakistan by 88 runs to register their second consecutive victory at the ICC Women’s World Cup on Sunday.
The win ensured India maintained their 100 per cent record against arch-rivals Pakistan in ODIs, winning all 12 matches between the two sides till date. India reached a respectable 247 after their batters struggled to get going on a slow track. In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for 159 in 43 overs.
Spinners Deepti Sharma (3-45) and Sneh Rana (2-38) were the other wicket-takers for India, while Sidra Amin (81 off 106 balls) top-scored for Pakistan. Earlier, Deol’s 65-ball knock provided some stability in the middle overs, while Ghosh’s quickfire 20-ball effort pushed India near the 250-run mark.
Fumigation interruptions
Sent in to bat after the match referee erroneously ruled the toss in Pakistan’s favour, India’s top order faltered on a sluggish surface in a stop-start game that even saw interruptions for fumigation.
Pakistan pacer Diana Baig during her 4-69 vs India on Sunday
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur did not shake hands with her Pakistan counterpart Fatima Sana during the toss, continuing the trend set by the Indian men’s team during their victorious Asia Cup campaign. There were also several close calls and mix-ups in the middle that further disrupted momentum. Opener Pratika Rawal (31) gave India a brisk start, smashing Diana Baig for three consecutive fours, but star batter Smriti Mandhana (23) once again fell inside the powerplay, putting the top order under early pressure.
After surviving an unsuccessful leg-before appeal off Baig, Mandhana was bowled in the 10th over by skipper Fatima Sana, who found the gap to rattle the leg stump. The disciplined Pakistan bowlers kept the batters on a leash with tight lines and clever variations in pace, denying them any rhythm and chipping away at regular intervals.
Baig, Sana shine for Pakistan
Pacers Baig (4-69) and Sana (2-38) did the maximum damage, sharing six wickets between them. Rawal was next to go, her attempted cut shot brushing the top of the off stump. Deol showed composure, stitching together a 39-run stand with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (19) and then added 45 with Jemimah Rodrigues (32).
However, Harmanpreet fell to an inside edge just when she looked set, while Harleen, after doing the hard work by playing herself in, squandered the chance to push on in an attempt to hit a boundary.
Jemimah, who had an early reprieve on two after being caught off a no-ball, was the next to depart for 32 as Pakistan maintained relentless pressure. Towards the end, the experienced pair of Deepti Sharma (25) and Sneh Rana (20) steadied the innings with a 42-run partnership.
Brief scores
India 247 all out in 50 overs (H Deol 46, R Ghosh 35*, J Rodrigues 32, P Rawal 31; D Baig 4-69, F Sana 2-38, S Iqbal 2-47) beat Pakistan 159 all out in 43 overs (S Amin 81, N Pervaiz 33; K Goud 3-20, D Sharma 3-45, S Rana 2-38) by 88 runs
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