Pakistan outclassed by India in Women’s T20 Asia Cup opener

Published July 20, 2024
DAMBULLA: Pakistan batter Tuba Hassan plays a shot during the Women’s T20 Asia Cup match against India at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium on Friday.—courtesy ACC
DAMBULLA: Pakistan batter Tuba Hassan plays a shot during the Women’s T20 Asia Cup match against India at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium on Friday.—courtesy ACC

DAMBULLA: Pakistan were outclassed by archrivals India in their Women’s T20 Asia Cup opener as the latter’s bowlers ruled the roost in their seven-wicket win at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

India bundled out Pakistan for a below-par 108 after being asked to bowl and then chased down the target with as many as 35 balls remaining. Chasing 109, Indian openers Shafali Verma (40) and Smriti Mandhana (45) was at their best as they toyed with the Pakistani attack from the word go.

It was an aggressive display of batting from both the Indian openers as they mostly dealt in fours and sixes. The duo of Mandhana and Verma hit two fours and a six off Tuba Hassan to collect 15 runs in the sixth over.

The seventh over bowled by Tuba yielded 21 runs with Mandhana hitting the bowler for five boundaries.

Pakistan finally tasted success in the 10th over in the form of Mandhana who was caught by Aliya Riaz at mid-wicket off the bowling of Syeda Aroob Shah.

Shafali departed in the 12th over, but by then, she and Mandhana had already done the damage. Dayalan Hemalatha (14) didn’t last long, caught by Tuba off Nashra Sandhu.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues then ensured a comfortable win for the title holders.

Earlier, India dished out a fine effort led by experienced off-spinner Deepti Sharma (3-20).

India, after being asked to bowl first, tasted their first success in the second over itself when pacer Pooja Vastrakar (2-31) dismissed Gull Feroza, caught by skipper Harma­npreet at mid-on.

Vastrakar struck again, dismissing the other Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali with a short-pitched delivery, caught by Rodrigues at cover, reducing Pakistan to 26 for 2 after the fourth over.

The Indians didn’t allow Pakistani batters to settle down as off-spinner Shyreyanka Patil (2-14) packed off Aliya, caught by Rodrigues at mid-wicket.

The Pakistani batters struggled to score runs, let alone build partnerships as Indian bowlers continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals to derail their opponents.

The next to depart was Pakistan skipper Nida Dar who holed out to Hemalatha at long-on off the bowling of Sharma as the batter went for her customary heave over the straight boundary.

It was raining wickets for India as pacer Renuka Singh (2-14) struck twice in the last two deliveries of her spell.

Renuka first accounted for Sidra Amin (25) and then trapped Iram Javed leg before in the next ball to reduce Pakistan to 61 for 6 in 13 overs.

Thereafter Tuba (22) and Fatima Sana (22 not out) stitched together a valuable 31-run stand for the seventh wicket to take Pakistan forward.

But their partnership came to an end in the 18th over when Tuba was caught by Radha Yadav at backward point off Sharma.

The 18th over bowled by Sharma saw three dismissals — Tuba, Aroob and Nashra.

While Tuba and Sandhu fell to Sharma, Aroob was run out, denying the India spinner a hat-trick. Fatima hammered left-arm spinner Radha for two sixes in the 19th over to take Pakistan over the 100-run mark.

Earlier, in the opening match of the tournament, Nepal stunned the UAE with a six-wicket win.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

A positive note
Updated 10 Feb, 2025

A positive note

With govt unable to press growth accelerator without upending fragile recovery, sufferings of low-middle-income households are unlikely to disappear soon.
Justice for all
10 Feb, 2025

Justice for all

ALONG with his domestic agenda, Donald Trump is busy ripping to shreds the post-World War II ‘rules-based...
Held back
10 Feb, 2025

Held back

IT is a crying shame how women are conspicuously absent from Pakistan’s civil services. Despite comprising half ...
Race against time
Updated 09 Feb, 2025

Race against time

While some bright spots emerged at Breathe Pakistan moot, we must streamline our climate governance.
Open door
09 Feb, 2025

Open door

THE door is still open for talks, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has reminded the PTI. What matters, however,...
Football suspension
09 Feb, 2025

Football suspension

ONCE again, Pakistan has been ousted from the global football family. FIFA recently suspended the Pakistan Football...