India commenced their Women’s Asia Cup title defence with a resounding 7-wicket victory over Pakistan in Dambulla on Friday, July 19.
Deepti Sharma claimed 3 wickets and Shreyanka Patil took 2, as Pakistan’s revamped lineup was dismissed for 108 runs while Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s dynamic 85-run partnership from 57 balls laid the foundation for the win.
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Pakistan, winning the toss, opted to bat first, a decision that soon appeared misguided as they faltered early on. Pooja Vastrakar removed both openers in quick succession, leaving Pakistan at 26 for 2 after 4 overs.
Sidra Ameen stood firm, but Aliya Riaz and captain Nida Dar couldn’t contribute significantly, leaving Pakistan in a precarious position. Renuka Singh then took out Ameen and Javed in back-to-back deliveries, reducing Pakistan to 61 for 6 by the 13th over.
Tuba Hassan and Fatima Sana brought some stability with a 31-run stand, but Deepti Sharma’s 18th over proved pivotal, claiming 2 wickets and contributing to a run-out, as Pakistan slumped to 94 for 9.
Sana pushed the score past 100, but Patil closed out Pakistan’s innings at 108 with a wicket on the second ball of the final over.
India’s chase was authoritative from the start, with Shafali and Smriti aggressively taking on the bowlers. Initially cautious, they soon accelerated, capitalizing on the powerplay overs.
The pair kept the scoreboard ticking, hammering Tuba Hassan for 15 runs in the final powerplay over, taking India to 57 without loss. Following a quiet over, Smriti unleashed an onslaught, hitting 5 boundaries in Tuba’s next over, which yielded 21 runs.
