Image: Twitter reacts as Deepti Sharma spins India Women to a dominant win over Pakistan / © India TV News
In the India versus Pakistan clash at the Women’s T20 World Cup in Birmingham, India picked up a big 64-run win after a strong display with both bat and ball. India were asked to bat first and had a few early problems when Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues got out cheaply. Smriti Mandhana then took control of the innings. She played some attractive shots during her 68 off 44 balls and helped India recover from 18 for 2. Harmanpreet Kaur spent time at the crease for her 36, while Richa Ghosh’s quick 34 from 17 balls gave India a useful boost near the end.
India closed on 170 for 6. Pakistan’s reply started well enough. Muneeba Ali scored 41, and the team crossed 50 inside the powerplay. At that point, they were still in the contest. But India’s bowlers kept creating chances, and the pressure began to show. Deepti Sharma was the major difference between the two teams. She broke partnerships, kept the runs down, and finished with outstanding figures of 5 for 10 in her 4 overs. Young spinner Shree Charani also made an impact with 3 wickets.
After reaching 75 for 4, Pakistan lost wickets regularly and never managed to put together another meaningful stand. Aliya Riaz was the only other batter to reach double figures after the top order. The innings ended on 106 in 17 overs. For India, it was one of those matches where different players stepped up at different moments. Mandhana provided the foundation, Ghosh added late runs, and Deepti wrapped up the chase with a match-winning spell as India collected 2 valuable points.