Women's T20 World Cup: All-round performances help India beat Pakistan by six wickets

• Highly anticipated match was played at Dubai Int'l Stadium.
• India stage comeback after loss against New Zealand.
  
• Green Shirts lose first match after Sri Lanka win.

DUBAI: An all-round batting and bowling performance by India helped them beat Pakistan by six wickets as they secured their maiden victory in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

Indian batters chased a modest 106-run target in 18.5 overs with Shafali Verma top-scoring with 32 runs off 35 balls.

India had a shaky start to the pursuit as experienced opener Smriti Mandhana (7 off 16) fell prey to Sadia Iqbal in the fourth over of the game.

Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues then tried to settle things down with a cautious 43-run partnership. However, the opener was dimissed by Omaima Sohail, with the scoreboard reading 61 for 2 in almost 12 overs.

A ray of hope sparked in the 16th over when captain Fatima Sana secured two wickets in two consecutive deliveries, sending Rodrigues and wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh back to the pavilion.

However, captain Harmanpreet Kaur held her nerves and played a captain innings of 29 off 34 balls before getting retired hurt with India needing only four runs to win.

Sajeevsn Sajna scored the winning runs as she and Deepti Sharma remained unbeaten at four and seven runs, respectively.

For Pakistan, skipper Sana returned with bowling figures of 2-23, while Iqbal and Sohail claimed one scalp each.

Earlier, Fatima Sana’s decision to bat first backfired as her side could only accumulate 105/8 in the allotted 20 overs.

The Green Shirts had a disastrous start to their innings as they lost opener Gull Feroza in first over of the match.

Later, Sidra Amin and Omaima Sohail perished within seven overs with the scoreboard reading 33/3.

Following the early debacle, Muneeba Ali offered some fight with her cautious 17-run knock before falling victim to Shreyanka Patil, leaving Pakistan in tatters at 41/4.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Aliya Riaz also failed to reach double figures as she fell victim to Arundhati Reddy.

Skipper Sana and Nida Dar then tried to settle things down, culminating with the former’s dismissal in the 14th over.

Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals, while Dar (28) ticked the scoreboard singlehandedly until finally walking back to the dugout in the last over. Syed Aroob Shah scored a 17-ball fourteen taking the Sana-led team to 105.

Reddy bagged three wickets and Patil took two while Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma and Asha Sobhana struck out one batter apiece.

Dar remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with a 34-ball 28.

Pakistan squad: Fatima Sana (c), Aliya Riaz, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, and Tuba Hassan.

India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Asha Sobhana, Shreyanka Patil, and Sajana Sajeevan.