WT20I WC : India labour to a 6 wkt win over Pak to stay in SF race

 

India returned to winning ways in the Women's T20 World Cup by defeating Pakistan, keeping their hopes alive in the knockout stages. After a loss to New Zealand in the first match, this victory was crucial for Harmanpreet Kaur's team. Pakistan, batting first, posted 105 runs, and although India was under pressure early while chasing, they eventually secured the win. India’s dominance over Pakistan in T20s continued, with this being their 13th victory in 16 encounters. Pakistan has won only 3 times.

In Dubai, Pakistan's captain, Fatima Sana, won the toss and opted to bat first. However, their start was poor, with Renuka Singh Thakur dismissing Gul Feroza for a duck in the first over. India's bowlers kept the pressure on, and Pakistan struggled to score freely. Sidra Ameen was also dismissed during the powerplay by Deepti Sharma.

Except for Muneeba Ali, Pakistan's top order failed to make an impact. Omaima Sohail was out for 3 runs, caught off Arundhati Reddy. Muneeba was playing well but was stumped off Shreyanka Patil for 17 runs. India's fielding was subpar, dropping three catches, which could have restricted Pakistan to an even lower total, though it didn’t cost them heavily in the end.

Former captain Nida Dar held the Pakistan innings together, but she lacked support from the other batters. India’s bowlers were consistent, and when Nida was dismissed for 28, it seemed Pakistan wouldn’t even reach 100. However, late contributions from Fatima Sana (13) and Syeda Ayesha Shah (14) pushed the total to 105.

India's bowlers shared the wickets evenly. Arundhati Reddy was the most successful, taking 3 wickets for 19 runs. Shreyanka Patil took 2 wickets for 12 runs, while Renuka, Deepti, and Asha each took 1 wicket.

Chasing 106, India felt the pressure early on. The slow Dubai pitch suited Pakistan's spin-heavy attack, and as the match progressed, the wicket became slower. Indian openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who prefer pace on the ball, found it difficult to play their shots. Mandhana who was unable to find any gaps , was dismissed for 7 by Sadia Iqbal during the powerplay caught at point off a tame shot .

Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues steadied the innings, but the run rate remained slow. India couldn’t hit a boundary in the first seven overs, but they avoided losing further wickets. By the 10th over, India had crossed 50 runs, and Pakistan’s fielders were fighting hard, saving runs wherever possible.

As India’s target approached, the batters gained more confidence. Pakistan bowled well but took long time break the partnership, and with Shafali's wicket for 32, caught off Omaima Sohail, the game seemed to open up again. India still needed 45 runs, and the pressure was mounting.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur joined Jemimah, who was batting calmly, focusing on singles and avoiding risks. Harmanpreet followed the same approach. Though India had power-hitters like Richa Ghosh and Sanjivani Sajana left to bat, they strangely  opted for a cautious strategy to secure the win.

Just as it seemed Harmanpreet and Jemimah would see India through, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana brought her team back into the game. Jemimah was caught behind for 23 while attempting a big shot, and Richa was dismissed for a duck on the next ball, leaving India under pressure with two quick wickets.

However, Harmanpreet remained composed at the crease, and along with Deepti Sharma, guided India to victory. Harmanpreet hit a few crucial shots towards the end, but with 2 runs needed for victory, she suffered a cramp and retired hurt after scoring 29. India won the match by 6 wickets with seven balls to spare.

Arundhati Reddy for her fine bowling was the player of the match .  However India could not achieve a higher NRR from this chase as they looked rather timid in the chase of a small score , that can prove very costly if the net run rate issue comes up later for semis qualification.