Mount Manganui, 7 March 2022: Pakistan vice-captain and all-rounder Nida Dar is hopeful that despite a defeat by 107 runs to India in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 opener at Mount Manganui, her side will make a comeback in the tournament.
Pakistan had an impressive start with the ball yesterday as they had India reeling at 114 for six after Mithali Raj decided to bat first, but brilliant half-centuries from Pooja Vastrakar and Sneh Rana brought India back into the game and eventually set their win. The pair added 122 runs from 97 balls down the order.
“We got a good start with the ball, but did not finish the innings well,” Nida told PCB digital after the match. “That’s an area where we need to work on.”
Nida, who returned two for 45 in 10 overs, believes that pitches in New Zealand are batting friendly and allow batters to score at quicker rates. “The wickets here are flat and are batting friendly. They help the batters in scoring quick runs. We should have chased 245 here, considering the experience of our batters and our run in the warm-ups.”
Pakistan play Australia on Tuesday at the same venue. For Nida, the key going into that match is to “learn from the mistakes and focus on the next match”.
Australia are a strong side and it is important for us to make a strong comeback in the tournament,” she said. “You do experience tough challenges at a stage like World Cup, but it also gives you an opportunity to stage comebacks.”
