Pakistan Women vs. India Women: First Face-Off After 2018

The Women’s World Cup 2022 commenced on 4 March with the first game of the host team, New Zealand. Pakistan and India will play their opening match on 6 March 2022 at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. 

Pakistan won their World Cup Warm-Up match against Bangladesh by 7 runs. The team gave a target of 202 runs and did an excellent job of not letting their opponent chase it. Aliya Riaz was the highest scoring batsman of the innings with 45 runs, including 7 fours, and remained not out till the end. Javeria Khan performed well and scored 44 runs before Nahida Akhter from Bangladesh stepped in. The team made a combined effort of scoring this win, which was evident when the bowlers got the chance to showcase their capabilities. Fatima Sana and Nashra Sandhu earned 7 wickets in 17 overs. They basically contributed to the maximum pressure Pakistan put on Bangladesh. The team has been pretty lucky lately, and their potential shows in the field. However, they are behind head-to-head and need a win to break India’s rhythm after 2016.

• Aliya Riaz
• Javeria Khan
• Bismah Maroof
• Fatima Sana
• Nashra Sandhu

India’s last World Cup warm-up game was against West Indies, which they won by 81 runs. The team did a commendable job in the field during both innings. Smriti Mandhana scored 66 runs, while Deepti Sharma and Yastika Bhatia earned 93 runs, including 6 fours. Pooja Vastrakar gained the most wickets in the least overs. Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Deepti Sharma claimed 2 wickets each. The efforts and confidence of the team were visible in their performance, and it is expected that they’ll be aiming to put on a similar game for their next match. Moreover, India is leading the head-to-head with 2 wins in 2018, and after these years, the team will want to continue where they left off.

• Smriti Mandhana
• Deepti Sharma
• Yastika Bhatia
• Pooja Vastrakar
• Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Both the teams have noticeably been overcoming the challenges and gaining their share of victories. The coming game will likely bring loads of excitement, involving a curious game. It is also probable that following a significant fight, India celebrates this weekend.