DUBAI, OCT 6: In the most awaited and electric encounters of all, Pakistan vs India, the Blue Shirts have begun their chase of the 106-run target set by the Green Shirts at the Dubai International Stadium in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday.
For India, Shafali Verma and the ever reliable Smriti Mandhana opened the innings.
The openers began the innings well scoring 18 in 4.1 overs. However, on the next ball of the same over, the experienced and versatile Mandhana fell to Sadia Iqbal.
After her dismissal, Verma was joined by Jemimah Rodrigues with the former scoring the 50th run for India on the last ball of the 10th over.
India now needed, 56 runs on 60 balls to clinch victory.
Earlier, Pakistan’s skipper Fatima Sana won the toss and decided to bat first, knowing the power and capability of her bowlers.
Pakistan’s Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza kicked off the first innings, with Feroza getting bowled within 0.6 over after making zero runs for the team.
After the dismissal, Sidra Amin entered the stadium and scored eight runs off 11 balls.
Moreover, the third over came out to be a treat for the Women in Green, as Muneeba smashed two shots towards the boundary, adding 12 runs to the total after Renuka Singh delivered three wide balls in the over.
It was a shaky start for the Sana-led side, as the team was 41/3 within 8.5 overs.
Alongside Omaima Sohail making three runs only, the other two players were unable to score even 10 runs for the team.
Moreover, after scoring the most runs for the team, Muneeba was dismissed, making 17 off 26 balls in the 9.3 overs.
Later on, Aliya Riaz also returned to the dug out in the 12.1 over. The responsibility then lied on skipper, Sana, who seemed to be carrying the innings well but she was also dismissed by Asha Sobhana after smashing 13 off 8 deliveries including two fours.
Sana left Pakistan at 70-6 on the last ball of the 14th over, leaving the side in peril.
She was soon joined by Tuba Hassan, who after facing three balls returned without scoring in the 14.3 over.
Pakistan’s former skipper, Nida Dar and Syeda Aroob Shah continued batting apprehensively and led aided their side to bat the full 20 overs.
Dar was dismissed on the second last ball of the innings after adding 28 off 34 to the scoreboard.
Aroob Shah and Nashra Sandhu culminated the innings on 105/8, posting a target defendable for Pakistan’s skilled bowlers yet easily chase-able for the fiery Indian batters.
India Playing XI:
India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Asha Sobhana, Shreyanka Patil, and Sajana Sajeevan.
Pakistan Playing XI:
Fatima Sana (c), Aliya Riaz, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, and Tuba Hassan.
