Tauranga, March 6 : Pooja Vastrakar and Sneh Rana’s 122-run partnership helped India to post 244/7 against Pakistan in their opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at the Bay Oval here on Sunday. India were on 114/6 when Vastrakar (67) walked out to join Rana (53 not out) in the middle.
Vastrakar’s strokeplay and responsible batting by Rana saw the pendulum swing back in India’s direction. The duo fired 12 boundaries and displayed brilliant running between the wickets, ruining Pakistan’s hard work till 33.1 overs.
Fatima Sana got the better of Vastrakar in the final over but it was too late as the damage was already done. The Indian was welcomed with a standing ovation by her teammates in the dugout. The 122-run partnership for the seventh wicket between them changed the complexion of the game.
Pakistan will have to achieve their highest score ever if they are to record their first-ever World Cup win over India. Earlier, India suffered an early blow, losing opener Shafali Verma for a duck after electing to bat first. Diana Baig’s accuracy rattled Shafali’s stumps.
Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma rebuild the innings after struggling for more than 10 overs in the middle. The top-order batters added 92 runs. Nashra Sandhu got the much-needed breakthrough as she dismissed Deepti for 40. Soon, Anam Amin caught and bowled Mandhana for 52. The dismissal of two set batters in quick succession led to a flurry of wickets, with star players Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur returning to dugout cheaply.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
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