Dambulla, July 19 (Udaipur Kiran) – The Indian women’s cricket team began their Asia Cup 2024 campaign with a resounding 7-wicket victory over Pakistan in their first match.
The Indian team, chasing a target of 109 runs, got off to a strong start with openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. They added 57 runs during the power play. Both continued their excellent batting and took India’s score to 85 in 9.2 overs. It was at this score that Mandhana was dismissed by Saida Aroob Shah, giving India its first setback. Mandhana scored 45 runs off 31 balls, hitting nine fours.
Following Mandhana’s dismissal, Shafali Verma was bowled out for 40 runs with the team score at 100. She faced 29 balls and hit six fours and one six. Dayalan Hemalatha was the next to fall, scoring 14 runs off 11 balls with three boundaries before being dismissed by Nashra Sandhu at a total score of 102 in the 13th over.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (unbeaten) and Jemimah Rodrigues (unbeaten) ensured there were no further losses. They led India to a comfortable victory with a score of 112 for 3 in 14.1 overs, winning by 7 wickets. Jemimah not only hit the winning four but also completed 2,000 runs in T20 internationals. For Pakistan, Aroob Shah took 2 wickets, and Nashra Sandhu took 1 wicket.
Earlier, thanks to the exceptional performance of Indian bowlers, especially Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh, India bowled Pakistan out for just 108 runs in 19.2 overs. Pakistan, batting first, had a shaky start. Fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar dismissed Gul Feroz Khan (5) in the second over, with Harmanpreet Kaur taking a superb catch. Pakistan’s score was 9/1 at 1.4 overs.
Muniba Ali and Sidra Ameen attempted to stabilize the innings with some boundaries, but their partnership didn’t last long. Jemimah Rodrigues took a brilliant catch in the cover region off Vastrakar’s bowling to dismiss Muniba for 11 runs (11 balls, two fours). Pakistan’s score was 26/2 in 3.5 overs.
Ameen and Alia Riaz managed to steady the ship for a while, ending the power play at 37/2. However, spinner Shreyanka Patil soon broke their partnership with Jemimah taking another excellent catch at mid-wicket to dismiss Riaz (6). Pakistan was 41/3 at 7.5 overs.
Ameen hit a stylish reverse sweep to bring Pakistan’s score to 50 in 9.2 overs. Despite reaching 53/3 in 10 overs, Pakistan lost wickets regularly afterward, getting all out for 108 in 19.2 overs. Fatima scored an unbeaten 22 runs off 16 balls, hitting one four and two sixes. Tuba Hassan also contributed 22 runs, while Sidra Ameen scored 25 runs. For India, Deepti Sharma took 3 wickets for 20 runs, Renuka Singh and Shreyanka Patil each took 2 wickets for 14 runs, and Pooja Vastrakar took 2 wickets for 31 runs.
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.
