Women’s ODI World Cup IND vs PAK: Lacklustre India registers big win over Pakistan
An 88-run win. Extension of a skewed head-to-head record to 12-0. Scorecards will immortalise this World Cup league fixture as another chapter in India's dominance over Pakistan in the format. But this game wouldn't qualify as the ideal specimen.
Opting to field, Pakistan wanted a target to work with – ideally 250 – in a bid to open its account in the tournament and register its maiden win against Harmanpreet Kaur & Co.
A five-bowler attack shared the spoils with Diana Baig finishing with a four-wicket haul as Pakistan restricted India to 247. Fatima Sana entrusted Sadia Iqbal with the responsibility of striking in the PowerPlay. When that didn't work, she and Diana combined to test the Indian top-order. With Smriti Mandhana back in the hut within the first 10 overs, all hopes of establishing dominance went awry. India struggled to rotate strike and find the boundary for most of its near-four-hour-long batting essay.
Harleen Deol and Pratika Rawal's pairing saw the run rate drop. Harmanpreet Kaur started with promise when Pratika fell, but she was eventually stifled.
A persistent bug infestation delayed proceedings multiple times, with fumigation becoming necessary to give players some respite. But there was no spray to help the Indian attack move along at a more sprightly pace.
A crucial 37-ball 32 from Jemimah and a shaky but quickfire 20-ball unbeaten 35 from Richa Ghosh helped India reach a respectable total.
For Pakistan, Muneeba Ali lost her wicket to a freak dismissal that saw her not ground her bat in a run-out attempt despite being well in. Sidra Amin patiently chipped away at the tall target and frustrated the Indians plenty, keeping Pakistan in the hunt despite losing partners at regular intervals. Her dismissal, for a 106-ball 81, ended Pakistan's resistance, with the tail folding meekly thereafter.
The enduring footnotes are India's difficulties in strike rotation, a sudden dip in how imposing the batting line-up looks and Richa's buttery hands behind the stumps. These are faultlines waiting to crack the side's campaign open and Pakistan has, as a byproduct of its desperate efforts to match up, has shown the rest of the field that an ominous-looking Indian artillery can indeed be blunted.
Published - October 05, 2025 03:05 pm IST
Women's Cricket World Cup / One-day cricket
Source: TheHindu
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