Dambulla: India triumphed over Pakistan in their opening match of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 with a commanding seven-wicket victory on Friday, July 19. Chasing a modest target of 109, openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma set the tone with an aggressive start, paving the way for the Women in Blue to secure the win.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur commended her team’s fearless approach, emphasizing the aggressive intent with the bat that led to their success. “Our bowlers and openers made it. The first game is always a pressure game, but we managed it well. Our entire unit played really well,” Kaur said in her post-match presentation. She highlighted the critical role of the bowlers in setting up the win and praised the openers for their explosive start.
Mandhana and Verma provided a blistering start, racing India to 57 runs in the powerplay during the 109-run chase. Mandhana’s aggressive approach was on full display as she hit five fours off Tuba Hassan in the 8th over. However, Pakistan’s bowlers fought back briefly, with Syeda Aroob Shah dismissing both openers just short of their half-centuries and Nashra Sandhu removing Dayalan Hemalatha. Despite this, Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues ensured a smooth finish, guiding India to victory with 35 balls to spare.
The foundation of India’s win was laid by the bowlers. All-rounder Deepti Sharma was the standout performer, claiming three wickets. Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, and Shreyanka Patil each took two wickets, effectively dismantling Pakistan’s batting lineup. Sidra Ameen top-scored for Pakistan with 25 runs off 35 balls, while Tuba Hassan and Fatima Sana were the only other batters to score over 20 runs.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Kaur stated, “Playing fearless cricket, how we played today, and we are really happy with the way we played. My knee is fine,” reassuring fans about her fitness.
India’s next match is against UAE on July 21, followed by a clash with Nepal on July 23.
