In a thrilling ICC Women’s World Cup encounter, India dominated Pakistan with an impressive 88-run victory in a high-stakes match on Sunday at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This commanding win saw India continue its unbeaten run against Pakistan, extending the record to 12-0 in ODIs.
The match saw contrasting performances from two Indian players, with Harleen Deol scoring a composed 46 off 65 balls and Richa Ghosh contributing an explosive 35 off just 20 deliveries. Their efforts helped India post a solid total of 247 all out on a difficult pitch, despite initial confusion during the toss which mistakenly awarded Pakistan the decision to bowl first.
In reply, Pakistan struggled against a disciplined bowling attack led by Kranti Gaud, who took 3 wickets for 20 runs. Alongside her, Deepti Sharma and Shree Charani added further pressure on the Pakistani batsmen. The results were catastrophic for Pakistan, as they collapsed to 159 all out in 43 overs.
Despite a valiant effort from Sidra Amin, who scored 81 runs off 106 balls, the team failed to mount a serious challenge. Amin’s effort stood as a lone flicker of hope amid a faltering batting line-up.
The match unfolded with its fair share of drama, starting with a significant toss blunder. Furthermore, Pakistan faced a bizarre run-out and a surprising 15-minute delay due to a swarm of bugs invading the field. Following the game, India adhered to their “no-handshake” policy, maintaining the tension between the teams.
Pakistan’s innings got off to a disastrous start. Muneeba Ali, who scored 2 runs, was run out in a comical fashion after misjudging a live ball. Deepti Sharma’s26 for 3.
While Amin and Natalia Pervaiz (who added a short-lived 33 runs) created a brief resistance with their 69-run partnership, their dismissal saw the remaining batters collapse quickly.
Earlier in the match, India’s innings revolved around Deol’s steady knock and Ghosh’s explosive finish. Pratika Rawal set the pace with a quick 31 runs while hitting three boundaries in a row against Diana Baig, but fell victim to the well-planned deliveries by Fatima Sana, who took 2 wickets for 38 runs.
Diana Baig later wreaked havoc on India’s batting order with her impressive bowling, ending with figures of 4 for 69. Despite several ups and downs, India’s middle order showed resilience, with Harmanpreet Kaur (19 runs) and Jemimah Rodrigues (32 runs) putting up solid partnerships, anchoring the innings sensibly.
Just when Pakistan envisioned the tide turning in their favor, Richa Ghosh unleashed her attacking game, hitting three fours and two towering sixes in a critical attempt to push India beyond 250 runs.
Ultimately, the Indian bowlers translated their solid batting performances into a decisive victory, emphasizing their dominance in the match and sealing the win with clinical accuracy.
Brief Scores:
India Women: 247 all out in 50 overs (Harleen Deol 46, Richa Ghosh 35*, Jemimah Rodrigues 32; Diana Baig 4/69, Fatima Sana 2/38).
Pakistan Women: 159 all out in 43 overs (Sidra Amin 81; Kranti Gaud 3/20, Deepti Sharma 3/45, Shree Charani 2/38).
Result: India won by 88 runs.
