Pakistan Women’s cricket team celebrate during the Asia Cup 2010 – File photo by AFP
Pakistan beat India by one run in a thrilling match of the Women’s World Twenty20 at the Galle International Stadium in Sri Lanka on Monday.
Both teams were playing for pride, having failed to qualify for the semi-final of the eight-nation event, and Pakistan emerged victorious courtesy their bowling unit, which halted India’s progress despite a low target.
Pakistan and India had lost their other two Group A matches against England and defending champions Australia and the result of this final group match remained inconsequential to their progress in the tournament.
Both teams, however, were playing for pride a day after India’s men’s team had battered Pakistan by eight wickets in the men’s World Twenty20 Super Eights.
This one-run win was Pakistan’s first ever in any World Twenty20 tournament after their dismal performances in the 2009 and 2010 events.
Video: Meet Pakistan’s women’s cricket team
Batting first, Pakistan were restricted to 98-9 as Jhulan Goswami, Rasanara Parwin and and Anuja Patil took two wickets apiece. Pakistan’s captain and opener Sana Mir top-scored with 26, including two fours, off 38 balls. She was helped by experienced batter Nain Abidi, who scored 25 after the other opener, Qanita Jalil was dismissed on the seventh ball of her innings after scoring three runs. The rest of the Pakistani batting line up failed to reach double figures and it wasn’t until all-rounder Nida Dar came in to bat at number seven that Pakistan hit their first six of the innings. Dar scored 10 runs off ten deliveries.
When India came out to bat, they lost their first wicket in the fourth over when wicketkeeper Sulakshana Naik was dismissed by Jalil for nine runs. India’s star batter Mithali Raj then formed a partnership with Poonam Raut as they took India to 44 runs without further damage. Both set batswomen were then sent back by Dar, who removed Raut (18) in the tenth over and then Raj (16) in the twelfth over.
Goswami then threatened to take the match away from Pakistan when she hit two fours in her 21-run innings off 24 balls but she was dismissed by Bismah Maroof in the 19th over.
Dar, named player of the match, took three wickets and gave away only 12 runs in her four overs and was responsible for removing India’s top order batters. Leg-break bowler Bismah Maroof was responsible for removing the lower-order batters who looked like they would take India home. Maroof, however, removed Goswami (21) and Amita Sharma in the second-last over to give Pakistan the upper hand. Captain Mir also contributed with a wicket in the 16th over as Pakistan inched towards victory.
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