India produced a commanding performance to hand arch-rivals Pakistan an 88-run defeat in the Women’s World Cup in Colombo on Sunday, climbing to the top of the points table.
Defending a modest 247, India’s bowlers were relentless even as their fielders had an off day. Kranti Gaud (3-20) and Deepti Sharma (3-45) led the charge to bowl Pakistan out for 159 in 43 overs, extending India’s unbeaten streak over Pakistan to 12 matches in the format.
Early Breakthroughs Set the Tone
The tone was set by Renuka Singh Thakur and Kranti Gaud, who struck early with sharp swing and a probing line. Their stump-to-stump accuracy left Pakistan’s top order reeling and well behind the asking rate inside 15 overs.
Only opener Sidra Amin offered resistance, scoring a gritty 81 off 106 balls. Dropped four times, Sidra fought hard but found little support as India’s bowlers kept tightening the noose.
Very happy, important win. Our bowling was great, and Kranti was outstanding. Renuka helped her. We created so many chances, dropped some, but a win makes us happy. It wasn’t easy to bat on; we wanted to bat long and keep wickets in hand. Richa then gave us 30 crucial runs.
Kranti’s Moment of Pride
Pakistan’s innings featured a bizarre dismissal when Muneeba Ali, initially ruled not out, was run out by Deepti Sharma’s direct hit after lifting her bat post-grounding it. Kranti then struck twice more, removing Sadaf Shamas and Aliya Riaz to leave Pakistan in disarray.
Feels very good. It’s a proud moment for me and for my village — they’ve got a big screen up! Harman wanted to remove the second slip, but I insisted, and it got us Riaz’s wicket.
A 69-run stand between Sidra Amin and Natalia Pervaiz (33) briefly steadied Pakistan, aided by some sloppy Indian fielding. But once Kranti removed Natalia and Deepti dismissed Fatima Sana, the chase collapsed. Sidra’s dismissal for 81 off Sneh Rana sealed Pakistan’s fate.
India’s Batting: Hard Work on a Sluggish Pitch
Earlier, India’s batters had to grind on a two-paced track before Richa Ghosh’s quickfire 35 not out off 20 balls gave the innings late momentum. Harleen Deol (46 off 65) anchored the middle overs, while Deepti Sharma (25) and Sneh Rana (20) added valuable runs.
India were 159/5 in the 35th over and looked in trouble, but added 44 runs in the last four overs to reach 247 — a total that proved well beyond Pakistan’s reach.
We gave too many runs in the Power-play and the death overs. We should have restricted them under 200. Our top five need to take responsibility. Sidra is hard-working, and I hope she continues to do well.
The innings saw several interruptions — including a bizarre 15-minute pest control delay — but India maintained composure. Opener Pratika Rawal (31) and Smriti Mandhana (23) provided a brisk start before Pakistan’s bowlers pulled things back through Diana Baig (4-69) and Fatima Sana (2-38).
Richa’s late assault, which included three fours and two sixes, pushed India to a competitive total. Her switch-hit boundary off Diana Baig drew applause, and though India fell just short of 250, the score proved more than enough.
Another Sunday, Another Win
This was India’s fourth straight Sunday victory against Pakistan — and perhaps their most authoritative of the lot. Despite dropped catches and missed reviews, the bowlers ensured the margin of victory stayed emphatic. With two wins from two, India look well-set for the next phase of the tournament, while Pakistan are left searching for answers.
Brief Scores: India: 247 all out in 50 overs (Harleen Deol 46, Richa Ghosh 35*; Diana Baig 4-69, Fatima Sana 2-38) Pakistan 159 all out in 43 overs (Sidra Amin 81, Natalia Pervaiz 33; Kranti Gaud 3-20, Deepti Sharma 3-45). Result: India won by 88 runs
