(photo by©ICC 2023)
In a thrilling match in Dubai, India bowlers delivered a stellar performance, successfully containing Pakistan’s batting lineup. This remarkable display laid the foundation for Indian impressive six-wicket victory, which has bolstered their chances of reaching the semi-finals.
The pain of losing to New Zealand
India, reeling from a significant defeat to New Zealand in their first match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, faced an urgent need for victory against their formidable rivals in the upcoming clash.
Arundhati Reddy’s exceptional bowling performance played a pivotal role in securing a crucial victory, as Pakistan could only muster 105 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs.
During their reply, India struggled to increase the run rate, but they managed to secure the win through skillful running between the wickets and consistent partnerships. Shafali Verma’s 32 and Harmanpreet Kaur’s 29 were crucial in guiding India to victory.
After defeating Sri Lanka
After winning the toss, Pakistan chose to bat first but faced early setbacks when Renuka Singh swiftly removed Gull Feroza in the very first over.
The momentum continued to shift as Deepti Sharma also made an impact by breaching Sidra Amin’s defences, sending her back to the pavilion after scoring just 8 runs.
Reddy showcased exceptional bowling skills and emerged as the top performer among the Indian bowlers, concluding with impressive figures of three wickets for 19 runs.
Her first victim was Omaima Sohail, who mistimed a slower delivery, resulting in a catch by Shafali Verma. This dismissal left Pakistan struggling at 34 for three after seven overs.
Nida Dar took the field after Muneeba Ali’s departure, as the run-rate began to slow down. Muneeba Ali made an attempt to accelerate the scoring, but was ultimately stumped by Richa Ghosh for 17 runs, falling victim to the bowling of Shreyanka Patil.
Reddy made a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Aliya Riaz leg before for four runs. With the team at 52 for five, the pressure was on Fatima Sana to deliver.
She displayed determination by hitting consecutive boundaries off Asha Sobhana, but her innings was cut short when she was caught by Ghosh behind the stumps while attempting to score her 13th run.
Patil skilfully caught Tuba Hassan at fine leg for a duck, showcasing a remarkable performance by taking two wickets for just 12 runs in her four overs.
In the final over, Reddy finally dismissed Nida for 28 runs. Despite this, Pakistan managed to gather momentum by scoring six runs off the last two balls from Nashra Sandhu, allowing them to reach a total of 105 runs from their 20 overs.
India’s innings started off steadily, but with boundaries proving hard to come by, Smriti Mandhana attempted to up the scoring rate and was eventually caught for seven runs off 16 deliveries, bowled by Sadia Iqbal.
Following this, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues took some time to settle into their innings before gradually picking up the pace.
However, just as Verma seemed to be gaining momentum, she couldn’t quite clear the boundary at long on and was caught for 32 runs off Omaima, resulting in India being at 61 for two after a promising stand of 43 runs.
To maintain the net run rate
Despite the setback to their net run-rate against New Zealand, India approached the chase cautiously. However, Rodrigues fell for 23 while attempting a big shot off Fatima, leaving India with 26 runs still to get.
In a similar fashion, Fatima removed Ghosh next ball, catching her behind for a duck. The tension rose as Sharma survived the hat-trick ball, and she, along with Kaur, took India to the edge of victory before the skipper had to retire hurt after injuring herself in the penultimate over.
The thrilling moment arrived when Sajana Sajeevan came in with just two runs needed and smashed her first delivery for four, securing the win for India.
Pakistan 105 for eight in 20 overs (Nida Dar 28, Muneeba Ali 17; Arundhati Reddy 3/19, Shreyanka Patil 2/12)
India 108 for four in 18.5 overs (Shafali Verma 32, Harmanpreet Kaur 29 retired hurt; Fatima Sana 2/23, Omaima Sohail 1/17)
