Dubai [UAE], September 5 (ANI): India women’s team asserted their dominance over Pakistan, thrashing them by seven wickets in their T20 Asia Cup clash on Saturday at the Dubai International Stadium.
After bundling Pakistan out for just 55, India chased down the target in only 8.4 overs, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (18) and Deepti Sharma (12) remaining unbeaten at the crease.
With this win, India completed a perfect group-stage campaign, securing three victories in as many matches. They defeated Thailand, Hong Kong and Pakistan to collect all six available points.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s final group-stage clash against Hong Kong will be a do-or-die encounter, with a place in the final four at stake.
Chasing a modest target of 56, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana opened the innings for India. Verma wasted no time, smashing a six off the very first ball to get India’s chase off to a flying start.
Verma also completed 3,000 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals, reaching the milestone at just 22 years and 220 days to become the youngest player to do so. She is also the fastest to the landmark in terms of balls faced, reaching 3,000 runs in just 2,182 deliveries.
Verma’s stay at the crease was brief. In the second over, Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana dismissed her for 12, bringing Pratika Rawal to the crease alongside Mandhana.
Rawal got off the mark with a boundary, but her stay lasted just one more delivery. Sana struck again, dismissing Rawal for 4 on the very next ball to claim two wickets in the same over.
Mandhana, who had scored a century in India’s previous match, also fell to Sana in the fourth over, departing for 9 off 11 balls. Her dismissal left India reeling at 29/3.
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and star all-rounder Deepti Sharma then took charge, steadying the innings and safely guiding India to 34/3 at the end of the powerplay.
Pakistan skipper Sana had a fluent power-play with the ball, grabbing all three wickets.
There have been 12 recorded instances of a captain taking at least three wickets inside the first six overs of a Women’s T20I. Five of those have come for full-member teams, with Hayley Matthews and Fatima Sana achieving the feat twice each, while Chamari Athapaththu has done so once.
India wrapped up the chase inside nine overs, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma leading the charge to seal a convincing victory.
Earlier in the match, Fiery spells from Shree Charani and Prema Rawat helped India dominate arch-rivals Pakistan, skittling them out for just 55 runs.
Openers Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar stitched a 27-run stand, but from there, it was a slow-burning punishment unleashed on Pakistani batters, who were skittled out for just 55 in 18.1 overs.
Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar were cautious at the start, with Zulfiqar taking two overs to find the boundary. In the third over, Pratika Rawal dropped a sitter off Kranti Gaud's bowling, giving Muneeba Ali a lifeline.
The duo managed to get a boundary each, but Shafali Varma clean bowled Muneeba for a 15-ball 13. Pakistan was 27/1 in 4.3 overs.
The following over, bowled by Shree Charani, turned the game firmly in India’s favour as she struck twice. Gull Feroza was caught by Nandini Sharma at backward point for a three-ball duck, before Charani trapped Shawaal Zulfiqar lbw for 14 off 14 balls to end a sensational over. Pakistan were reduced to 29/3 after six overs.
India’s spinners continued to torment the Pakistan batting line-up, with Charani claiming her third wicket in the eighth over by dismissing Ayesha Zafar for 2. Prema Rawat then joined the wicket-taking spree, while Deepti Sharma accounted for Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana, who departed for a seven-ball duck. Pakistan were left reeling at 35/6 after 9.1 overs.
Halfway through, Pakistan was 36/6, with Eyman Fatima (0*) and Umm-e-Hani (1*) unbeaten. Pakistan's downslide continued, as Eyman Fatima (5) was run out by Bharti Fulmali and Deepti Sharma, sinking to 45/7 in 13.1 overs.
Prema Rawat got some success, as she added two more wickets to her tally, removing Umm-e-Hani (6) and Umm-e-Hani (0), sinking Pakistan to 54/9 in 16.3 overs. Deepti Sharma got the final wicket, removing Tuba Hassan for nine in 16 balls, Pakistan was skittled out for 55 in 18.1 overs.
Charani (3/7) and Prema (3/9) were exceptional in their four-over spells, with Deepti getting two wickets and Shafali getting one. (ANI)
Women's Asia Cup: India thrash Pakistan by 7 wickets to finish group stage unbeaten
