Indian Women score cautious six-wicket win over Pakistan

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP):

India batted cautiously in a six-wicket win over archrivals Pakistan at the Women’s T20 World Cup yesterday.

Pakistan were stifled by fast bowler Arundhati Reddy (3-19) and off-spinner Shreyanka Patil (2-12) to score a modest 105-8 in their 20 overs on a slow cricket wicket at the Dubai International Stadium, with Nida Dar top-scoring with 28 off 34 balls.

India, who lost their first Group A game against New Zealand by 58 runs, reached 108-4 in 18.5 overs as captain Harmanpreet Kaur made a calm 29 off 24 balls before retiring hurt late in the chase.

With only two runs needed for victory, Kaur briefly lost her balance but regained her ground as wicketkeeper Muneeba Ali missed a stumping opportunity. Kaur clutched the back of her neck as she walked back to the dugout before Sajeevan Sajana reached the target with a boundary.

Despite the win, India are still fourth in the group with a poor net run-rate of minus 1.217 behind third-place Pakistan, who beat Sri Lanka in their opening game and have a net run-rate of 0.555. New Zealand and Australia occupy the first two spots after winning their respective opening-group games.

STUMPED

India had squeezed Pakistan to 7-71 in the 15th over despite Asha Sobhana dropping two easy catches off Muneeba Ali (17) and captain Fatima Sana (13). Muneeba’s struggling knock of 26 balls finally ended when she got stumped off Patil’s wide ball.

Sana smashed two boundaries but was brilliantly snapped up by wicketkeeper Richa Gosh, who plucked a one-handed catch over her head behind the wicket to give some consolation to leg-spinner Sobhana (1-24) for her early lapse in the field.

Dar held the innings together in the death overs with a 28-run partnership with Syeda Aroob Shah, who scored 14, before Reddy had Dar clean bowled in the final over.

India’s batting powerhouse was overcautious against Pakistan’s spin-heavy bowling attack. Shafali Verma, who top-scored with 32 off 35 balls, successfully overturned a leg- before-wicket decision against her through television referral early in her knock, but India’s top-order batters struck only five boundaries in their entire run chase.

Sana (2-23) picked up two late wickets off successive balls when Jemimah Rodrigues (23) and Gosh both were caught behind. Sana came close to have Deepti Sharma leg before wicket in her final over, but the onfield decision was overturned by the third umpire when TV replays suggested that the batter had got a thick inside edge.