After suffering a shocking defeat against Australia Women in the historic first WT20I game of CWG history, India Women recorded their first CWG win in style by thrashing Pakistan Women in the rain-shortened match.
On day three event of the CWG 2022, India Women and Pakistan Women met in the Group A challenge at Birmingham. In that 18-over game, Pakistan scored 99 all out on the last ball of the innings after winning the toss.
In reply, the Indian team chased down the target comfortably in just 11.4 overs after losing two wickets.
Pakistan Women innings
Meghna Singh provided the early breakthrough for the Indian team as the Pakistan opener Iram Javed (0) lost her wicket on the ninth delivery without opening the team’s scorecard.
However, another opener and wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali and skipper Bismah Maroof put the 50-run partnership for the second wicket. But once that partnership was broken, the Indian bowlers took regular wickets and gave no chance to their opposition as Pakistan were bundled out for just 99 runs.
Muneeba Ali was the only batter to score 20+ runs in that innings as she scored 32 off 30 balls before Sneh Rana caught and bowled her.
Sneh Rana (2/15) and Radha Yadav (2/18) got two wickets each in that innings, while Renuka Singh (1/20), Meghna Singh (1/21) and Shafali Verma (1/8) collected one wicket each.
India Women innings
Smriti Mandhana scored 63 not out off 42 balls (8 fours and 3 sixes) as she comfortably guided the Indian team to the target in 11.4 overs. Mandhana had a 61-run opening partnership with Shafali Verma (16).
Sabbhineni Meghana scored 14 runs before getting out, while Jemimah Rodrigues (2*) just ensured Mandhana’s comfortable finish.
Among the Pakistan bowlers, only Tuba Hassan (1/18) and Omaima Sohail (1/20) managed to pick up the wickets.
Smriti Mandhana’s record
With her match-winning half-century, Smriti Mandhana equalled the record of most 50+ scores as an Indian opener in WT20I history. It was her 14th WT20I half-century as an Indian opener, the equal record of Mithali Raj.
Meanwhile, the most WT20I 50+ scorer as a left-handed batter Mandhana has now scored 15 half-centuries in her WT20I career.
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