Cape Town, 12 February 2023: India struck eight boundaries in the last 17 balls to snatch an unlikely victory over Pakistan in a Group-2 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup fixture at Newlands on Sunday.
Defending 150, Pakistan had an iron grip in the match when India were 109 for three in 16 overs and required 41 runs from the last 24 balls. However, Nida Dar conceded 13 runs in the 17th over, Aimen Anwar went for 14 runs in the 18th over and Fatima Sana gave away 15 runs in the 19th over as India achieved an unlikely victory with seven wickets and six balls to spare.
Richa Ghosh turned things on its head when she smashed five fours in a 20-ball 31 not out and put on 58 runs for the unfinished fourth wicket partnership off 33 balls with player of the match Jemimah Rodrigues, who top-scored with 53 not out off 38 balls with eight fours.
No.3 batter Rodrigues had earlier added 27 runs off 23 balls with Shafali Verma (33) for the second wicket and 28 runs off 26 balls with captain Harmanpreet Kaur (16) for the third wicket.
Nashra Sandhu bowled intelligently and economically to pick up two wickets for 15 runs, while Sadia Iqbal picked up one wicket for 25 runs. Fatima Sana, however, had a forgettable match when her four overs cost 42 runs, while Aimen Anwar conceded 33 runs off her three overs.
Earlier, an unbroken 81-run fifth wicket partnership off 47 balls between captain Bismah Maroof and teenage Ayesha Naseem helped Pakistan to recover from 68 for four in 12.1 overs to 149 for four in 20 overs, their highest total against India as well as in a T20 World Cup.
Bismah scored 68 not out, her 12th half-century, and 18-year-old Ayesha scored an attractive 43 not out.
Bismah faced 55 balls and struck seven fours, but it was the Abbottabad-born Ayesha who gave real impetus to the innings by slapping two sixes and two fours in a 25-ball cameo. It was Ayesha’s quick-fire innings that helped Pakistan collect 91 runs in the last 10 overs, including 58 runs in the final five overs.
Bismah and Ayesha had joined hands after Pakistan were in a bother at 43 for three in 7.3 overs, which soon became 68 for four in 12.1 following the departures of Javeria Khan (8), Muneeba Ali (12), Nida Dar (0) and Sidra Amin (11).
For India, Radha Yadav took two wickets for 21 runs, while Pooja Vastrakar and Deepti Sharma bagged a wicket each.
Scores in brief:
Group 2 - India beat Pakistan by seven wickets, Newlands , Cape Town
Pakistan 149-4, 20 overs (Bismah Maroof 68 not out, Ayesha Naseem 43 not out, Muneeba Ali 12, Sidra Amin 11; Radha Yadav 2-21)
India 151-3, 19 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 53 not out, Shafali Verma 33; Richa Ghosh 31 not out; Nashra Sandhu 2-15, Sadia Iqbal 1-25)
Player of the match - Jemimah Rodrigues (India)
