advertisement
India defeated Pakistan in their first match at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023.
Chasing a target of 150, India crossed the finish line with an over to spare.
Jemimah Rodrigues starred with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 53 off 38 deliveries.
Pakistan scored 149/4 after batting first.
Bismah Maroof and Ayesha Naseem were the best batters for Pakistan, while for India, Radha Yadav was the most influential bowler.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
As for team news, India will have to do with a makeshift opening pair, with Smriti Mandhana unlikely to be available. The elegant batter is nursing a finger injury and should return for the second match against West Indies.
Speaking to media ahead of the game, India’s batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar confirmed “Smriti (Mandhana( has got a finger injury. So, she is still recovering and most likely, she won't play tomorrow. We believe Smriti will play the next game (against West Indies on February 15), it's a finger injury, she will be fine for the next match.”
Led by Bismah Maroof, Pakistan also boast of a few match-winners in their team. Their best performance in this competition came in the 2016 edition, where they won two matches and finished sixth on the cumulative table.
India will embark on their quest for the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup 2023 title today at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, were they will be up against Pakistan.
India came close to winning the competition on a few occasions amongst its previous seven iterations, notably in 2020 where they made it to the final, but have never been able to cross the final hurdle. With an eye on the finish line, India will be eager to cross the first hurdle comfortably.
That being said, Harmanpreet Kaur will know perfectly well not to let complacency creep into the camp, for the last meeting saw Pakistan handing India a surprising 13-run defeat in the 2022 Asia Cup.
The news from the centre is that Pakistan have won the toss, and skipper Bismah Maroof has opted to bat first here in Cape Town.
"It is a dry wicket, won't change much so we'd like to put up a total. We have the confidence because we won against India last time but conditions are different here," Maroof said after the toss.
"We wanted to bat because these wickets are a bit tricky. I think these wickets will help us, we are a very good bowling side," the Indian skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur said after losing the flip of the coin.
India Playing XI: Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Thakur Singh.
Pakistan Playing XI: Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali (wk), Bismah Maroof (c), Nida Dar, Sidra Ameen, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Fatima Sana, Aiman Anwer, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal,
Good first over from Renuka Singh. The Indian pacer is getting swing with the new ball, taking the ball away from the left-handed Muneeba Ali, and getting it to nip back into the right-handed Javeria Khan.
Just three runs comes from the over.
WICKET!
It has taken India all but 10 deliveries to break the Pakistani opening stand, as Deepti Sharma has sent Javeria Khan back to the dressing room. After smashing a boundary with a reverse sweep, Javeria tried a pull, but ended up giving a simple catch to Harmanpreet at short fine-leg.
Pakistan are 11/1 after 2 overs.
Disciplined in her line and lengths, Renuka Singh is causing Muneeba Ali and Bismah Maroof a few problems here. Three runs came from Renuka's second over.
Pakistan are 14/1.
Pakistani skipper, Bismah Maroof is trying to lead her team by example. The left-handed batter struck two boundaries in Deepti Sharma's second over.
Pakistan are 24/1 after 4 overs.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad was introduced into the attack for the fifth over, and the left-arm spinner conceded seven runs. Barring an elegant sweep by Maroof which yielded four runs, Gayakwad looked impressive in the other five deliveries.
Pakistan are 31/1.
After a successful first over, Deepti Sharma has been a tad off the mark in her last two overs. The sixth over yielded six runs, courtesy of a brilliant four from Muneeba Ali's bat.
Pakistan are 39/1.
BREAKTHROUGH!
And this has come exactly when India needed it most, with both batters getting a move on. Trying to dance down the track and play a big shot, Muneeba Ali ended up getting outfoxed by the spinner, giving Richa Ghosh an easy stumping opportunity.
Pakistan are 42/2 after 7 overs.
2 in 2!
Like Radha Yadav, Pooja Vastrakar has managed to pick a crucial wicket in her first over. Trying to play the pull shot, Nida Dar ended up edging the ball to Richa Ghosh's gloves. Whilst it was initially given not out, a shrewd DRS call by Kaur helped India scalp their third wicket.
Pakistan are 46/3.
The Pakistani batters are struggling to decipher Radha Yadav's spin. Only four runs came from her second over, as the scales have now tipped in India's favour.
Pakistan are 50/1 after 9 overs.
Decent over for Pakistan. There were no boundaries scored in Pooja Vastrakar's second over, but with the help of singles and doubles, eight runs were scored.
Pakistan are 58/3.
Shafali Verma, the first Indian cricketer to lead India to a women's ICC tournament win, has had a good start with the ball here. Only three runs came from her first over.
Pakistan are 61/3 after 11 overs.
Pakistan need the other batters to step up, for Bismah Maroof is waging a lone battle here. Courtesy of a boundary, the green shirts scored 7 runs off Rajeshwari Gayakwad's second over.
Pakistan are 68/3.
India have their fourth, and Radha Yadav has her third. Trying to play a reverse sweep, Sidra Ameen has somehow managed to provide Richa Ghosh with a regulation catch.
Pakistan are 74/4.
Much better over from Pakistan's perspective, and credit should be given to the new batter, Ayesha Naseem. Courtesy of his boundary, the green shirts score 9 runs off Pooja Vastrakar's over.
Pakistan are 83/4.
A lot happened in the 15th over. Yastika Bhatia pulled off a brilliant dive to save a boundary, but Harleen Deol's misfield ended up making it even. Ayesha is the aggressor for Pakistan here, with Bismah Maroof dealing mostly in singles.
Pakistan are 91/4 with five overs to spare.
Brilliant over for Pakistan! Renuka Singh was introduced into the attack for her third over, but the move did not pay dividends as the speedster conceded 18 runs. Ayesha Naseem is doing most of the talking here.
Pakistan are 109/4.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad has helped India pull things back here, as neither Ayesha nor Maroof could strike a boundary in the 17th over, which yielded seven runs.
Pakistan are 116/4.
Bismah Maroof has led her team from the front, anchoring the innings against all odds, whilst wickets were falling at regular intervals. She finally brings up a well deserved half-century in the 18th over.
Pakistan are 126/4 with two overs to spare.
Radha Yadav was having a fantastic day, both with the ball and on the field, but she has dropped a dolly here. Ayesha Naseem mistimed a shot, but India could not capitalize on it as Pakistan score 10 runs in the penultimate over.
Pakistan are 136/4 after 19 overs.
What a partnership this has been for Pakistan! Bismah Maroof and Ayesha Naseem played out of their skins to take Pakistan from a precarious position at 68/4 in the 13th over, to a fighting total of 149/4. Deepti Sharma was handed the ball for the last over, and she conceded 13 runs, with Naseem hitting her second maximum.
India need 150 runs to win. It is not what they would ideally have hoped to chase, but Harmanpreet Kaur's team is packed to the brim with talented batters. Don't go anywhere, as we will be back with live action from the chase.
Opening the innings in the absence of Smriti Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia is setting the tone here for India. The left-handed batter played an exquisite pull in only the second delivery off Fatima Sana, as the over yields eight runs.
Left-arm spinner, Sidra Iqbal was handed the ball in just the second over, and she justified the faith shown on her. Only three runs came from the over.
India are 11/0 after 2 overs.
Yastika Bhatia is making a case for a permanent place in the Indian playing XI. She struck yet another boundary in the third over, this time off Aiman Anwer's bowling.
India are 21/0 after 3 overs.
Shafali Verma is living dangerously here. She was first adjudged leg before wicket off Sidra Iqbal's bowling, only for a successful DRS appeal to rescue her. In the very next delivery, she danced down the track and missed the flight, but fortunately, the ball caught a thick outside edge to run to the boundary ropes.
India are 27/0 after 4 overs.
Nida Dar bowled the fifth over for Pakistan and conceded six runs, which included a boundary off Shafali Verma's bat. Whilst the scoring rate is not too promising, India will be happy for not losing any wicket so far.
India are 33/0.
Pakistan finally have a breakthrough as Yastika Bhatia takes the long walk back to the pavilion. Trying to clear the 30-yard circle, she ended up giving a regulation catch to Fatima Sana at extra cover. However, Shafali Verma struck two fours to ease the pressure.
India are 43/1 after six overs.
A 7-ball over!
You don't get to see this often in a T20 World Cup! Nida Dar concedes six runs off the first six deliveries, but then bowls a seventh and that goes for a boundary.
India are 53/1 after 7 overs.
Alright, let us bring things back here after the madness that was the last over. Nothing worth mentioning happened in Nashra Sandhu's first over, just that three runs came off it.
India are 56/1.
After a nine-run over by Aiman Anwer, Nashra Sandhu brought Pakistan back in the game by dismissing Shafali Verma. Trying to hit a six, she found Sidra Ameen at long-off, who takes a scintillating catch to send the Indian opener packing.
India are 67/2 after 10 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur has made her intentions very clear - she is looking to deal mostly in big shots. Seven runs comes from Nashra Sandhu's third over.
India are 85/2 after 12 overs.
Big over for India, and did they not need this desperately?
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur strikes two boundaries in Fatima Sana's over, taking India's score to 79/2 after 11 overs.
Nida Dar's third over started with a boundary off Jemimah Rodrigues' bat, but she pulled things back brilliantly by conceding just three more in the next five deliveries.
India are 92/3 after 13 overs.
HUGE WICKET!
Oh no, look away if you are an Indian fan. Trying to play her trademark sweep, Harmanpreet Kaur ended up edging Nashra Sandhu's delivery straight into the palms of her Pakistani counterpart, Bismah Maroof.
India are 95/3 after 14 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur's wicket has brought Pakistan back in the game, and now, everything is happening here in Cape Town. Jemimah Rodrigues struck a boundary in Fatima Sana's third over, but Richa Ghosh will consider her lucky not to lose her wicket.
India are 103/3 after 15 overs.
Richa Ghosh survives a scare for the second time. She is adjudged leg before wicket off Sadia Iqbal's bowling, but DRS review shows the ball made contact with the wicketkeeper-batter's gloves.
India are 109/3 after 16 overs.
Big over for India, just when they needed it. 13 runs came from Nida Dar's last over, with both Richa Ghosh and Jemimah Rodrigues hitting a boundary each.
India are 122/3 after 17 overs.
ON FIRE!
This over could prove to be the match-winner for India. This player, Richa Ghosh, is certainly a match-winner for India. The youngster strikes three back-to-back boundaries off Aiman Anwer's third over.
India now need just 14 off the last two overs.
ALL OVER! INDIA ARE VICTORIOUS!
India have beaten Pakistan by seven wickets to kick-start their ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 campaign on a fantastic note.
Harmanpreet Kaur's team will not require the full 20 overs. Just the 19 will do, for in the penultimate over bowled by Fatima Sana, Jemimah Rodrigues struck three boundaries to take India over the line. With this, the 22-year-old also brings up a stunning half-century.
Besides her, Richa Ghosh should also be credited for her incredible cameo. Coming to bat when India were caught between a rock and a hard place, having just lost skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, the young wicket-keeper batter from Bengal scored a 20-ball 31.
With this win, India are occupying the second place in the Group 2 standings, behind England only on the basis of net run rate.
Harmanpreet Kaur's girls will now take on West Indies at the same ground on Wednesday, 15 February. We will bring you live action from the match.
Till then, ciao!