The Indian bowling unit fired in unison against a clueless Pakistan, restricting the arch-rivals to a lowly 105 for 8 in their second group league game of the Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday. Having conceded 160 against New Zealand on a slow track under lights in their opener, the Indian bowlers read the pitch well, and more importantly, took the pace off deliveries to make stroke-making all the more difficult. Such was their control that Indian bowlers were able to deliver 58 dot balls.
Seamers Renuka Singh Thakur (1/23) and Arundhati Reddy (3/19) neither erred in line nor in length while off-spinners Deepti Sharma (1/24) and Shreyanka Patil (2/12) got enough grip and bounce to keep the Pakistani batters on tenterhooks. Reddy even gave Pakistan’s Nida Dar an angry send-off.
Arundhati Reddy pic.twitter.com/VWZcrNHfmW
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Leg-spinner Asha Sobhana (1/24) went for a few boundaries but got rival skipper Fatima Sana with a big leg-break after the batter was brilliantly snapped by Richa Ghosh behind the stumps.
Renuka bowled a tight first over and her inswinger had Gull Feroza (0) bowled through the gate.
Deepti, who gave a much better account of herself, albeit against an inferior batting lineup, decreased the pace of her deliveries and also flighted a few.
Sidra Amin (8 off 11 balls), who wanted to get a move on, tried to slog sweep one but the ball bounced off her pads and rolled onto the stumps.
Pakistan managed only 29 for 2 in the powerplay and the Indian bowlers increased their stranglehold on the opposition batters.
Arundhati was unlucky as Asha dropped a dolly when opener Muneeba Ali’s (17) ramp scoop was there for the taking. Reddy, however, had Omaima Sohail in the same over when the right-hander’s uppish drive was easily taken by Shafali Verma at mid-off.
The left-handed Muneeba was dismissed when she tried to give Shreyanka the charge and the off-spinner cleverly shortened the length and also got the ball to turn enough for Richa to complete the stumping.
Tottering at 41 for 4 at the halfway stage, Pakistan batters were unable to even push the ball in the gaps, and it was veteran Nida Dar’s 28 off 34 balls that took them past 100-run mark.
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