India beats arch rival Pakistan by 6 wickets in Women T20 World Cup

India registered their first win of the T20 World Cup 2024 with a six-wicket victory over Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium. A strong bowling performance from Arundhati Reddy (3 for 19) and Shreyanka Patil (2 for 12) restricted Pakistan to 105 for 8. In the chase, Harmanpreet Kaur led India with a crucial knock of 29 before retiring hurt due to a neck injury. India completed the chase with seven balls to spare.

Despite the win, India will have a few concerns heading into their next match. Harmanpreet’s injury just before the end of the game adds to the list of worries, along with sub-par fielding and missed catches that could have affected their net run rate.

After being put into the field in the hot Dubai afternoon, India responded well with Renuka Thakur striking early by dismissing Gull Feroza with a perfect inswinger. Despite a couple of boundaries from Muneeba Ali, Pakistan struggled to build momentum. Sidra Amin dragged a sweep onto her stumps, leaving Pakistan at 29 at the end of the PowerPlay.

India’s bowlers, particularly Reddy and Patil, took control over the next few overs. Reddy had Omaima Sohail caught out, while Patil claimed the key wicket of Muneeba, stumped after a flighted delivery left her stranded.

Pakistan’s captain Nida Dar attempted to stabilize the innings with an unbeaten 28, but the lack of support from her teammates hampered their progress. Pakistan managed to cross the 100-run mark, but their total of 105 was far from enough against a strong Indian side.

India’s chase began cautiously, with Smriti Mandhana dismissed early for a 7 off 16. Shafali Verma (32 off 35) and Jemimah Rodrigues (23 off 28) kept the scoreboard ticking but found boundary-hitting difficult against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack.

Verma looked to accelerate but was caught out at long-on, marking her first sub-par strike rate after facing more than 30 deliveries in a T20I innings. However, with the asking rate well under control, Harmanpreet and Rodrigues steadied India’s innings, taking them to within 26 runs of the target.

Fatima Sana briefly revived Pakistan’s hopes by dismissing Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh in consecutive deliveries, but Deepti Sharma (8*) provided stability alongside Harmanpreet. Unfortunately, Harmanpreet retired hurt with just two runs required, leaving India’s camp concerned. Despite that, India wrapped up the chase in 18.5 overs, securing a six-wicket victory and getting their World Cup campaign back on track.