India Women secured a comprehensive 6-wicket victory against Pakistan Women in their 100th T20I match, held in Dubai, marking their first win in the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Pakistan Women struggled to gain momentum. Early breakthroughs in the powerplay saw them lose two wickets cheaply, and India’s disciplined bowling, led by Arundhati Reddy's impressive 3/19, kept the pressure on throughout the innings. Nida Dar top-scored for Pakistan with 28, but their innings never took off, as they were restricted to a modest total of 105/8 in 20 overs.

In response, India Women had a cautious start, with the openers finding it hard to score freely. Smriti Mandhana fell early for 7, but a steady 43-run partnership between Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues helped stabilize the chase. Despite a few stumbles along the way, with Skipper Fatima Sana’s double strike threatening to turn the match, Harmanpreet Kaur stepped up with a crucial knock of 29 to steer India home. Though she retired hurt in the final over due to neck pain, her efforts ensured India clinched their sixth World Cup victory against Pakistan.

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Analyzing India Women's Powerplay Efficiency Against Pakistan

In their 100th T20I match, India Women put on a dominant display in the powerplay against Pakistan Women during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. After winning the toss and opting to bat, Pakistan's hopes of a strong start were dashed by India’s disciplined bowling attack. The Indian bowlers, led by Arundhati Reddy and a cohesive unit, applied pressure right from the first over. Pakistan lost two key wickets inside the powerplay, limiting their ability to set an aggressive tone.

India’s bowling performance was a clinical one, with a remarkable economy rate of 4.83 during the powerplay. The standout feature of their attack was their ability to bowl dot balls consistently, with 23 out of the 36 deliveries not conceding any runs. This strangled Pakistan’s batting lineup and prevented them from finding any rhythm. India’s bowlers were sharp in their lines and lengths, ensuring that the batters struggled to rotate the strike.

Pakistan, in response, could only muster 29 runs during the six-over powerplay. While they tried to break free with a few boundaries, India’s tight fielding and precision bowling kept them in check. The powerplay ended with India taking two wickets, leaving Pakistan reeling at 29/2 and struggling to recover from the early damage. The wickets that fell during this phase proved crucial, as Pakistan was never able to recover and post a competitive total.

The two wickets that India Women secured were pivotal in turning the match in their favor. One of the key dismissals came when Pakistan’s opener attempted to counter-attack but mistimed a shot, leading to a catch. Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s captain, was instrumental in setting the field and keeping the pressure on Pakistan’s batters, making quick bowling changes and ensuring Pakistan never found a way back into the game. 

As the powerplay concluded, India’s bowlers had already set the tone for the rest of the innings. The consistent dot balls and disciplined bowling helped restrict Pakistan to a modest score of 105/8 in their full 20 overs. India Women’s performance in the powerplay, marked by pressure, wickets, and precision, laid the foundation for what would become a comfortable six-wicket victory over their arch-rivals.

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In a thrilling semi-final clash of the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup in Dambulla, India emerged victorious against Bangladesh, thanks to a dominant bowling performance. Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to put scoreboard pressure on India in this knockout game. However, their plan faltered as the Indian bowlers dismantled their batting lineup, restricting them to just 80 runs in 20 overs.

Indian bowlers shine with Renuka and Radha leading the charge

India made some strategic changes to their lineup, including the introduction of young wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry as a specialist batter, replacing D Hemalatha. Pooja Vastrakar returned to the team after being rested in the previous group fixture, replacing Arundhati Reddy in the pace department. Harmanpreet Kaur also returned after missing the last group game, replacing S Sajana.

The star of the show was Renuka Singh, who delivered a remarkable performance with the ball, picking up three crucial wickets in the powerplay. Her figures of 3/10 set the tone for India’s dominance in the match. Following Renuka’s lead, spinner Radha Yadav also played a pivotal role, taking three wickets for just 14 runs. Together, they dismantled Bangladesh’s batting order, leaving them reeling at 80/8 in their allotted 20 overs.

The Indian bowlers, led by Renuka and Radha, executed their plans flawlessly, maintaining tight lines and not allowing the Bangladesh batters to settle. Pooja Vastrakar’s all-round contribution further strengthened India’s control over the game.

India bring win against Bangladesh

Bangladesh, who had hoped to replicate their 2018 Asia Cup final victory over India, were left disappointed as their batting lineup crumbled under pressure.

Radha Yadav holds the record as the fastest Indian woman to reach 50 wickets in T20 Internationals, achieving this milestone in just 36 innings. She is followed by Poonam Yadav, who took 38 innings, and Ekta Bisht, who reached the mark in 39 innings. Rajeshwari Gayakwad achieved the feat in 41 innings, while Renuka Singh Thakur took 45 innings to reach her 50th wicket.

Deepti Sharma achieved the milestone in 46 innings, while legendary bowler Jhulan Goswami took 59 innings, and Pooja Vastrakar completed the list by reaching 50 T20I wickets in 60 innings. This impressive list showcases the depth of talent and skill in Indian women’s cricket.

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The win showcased India’s depth in both pace and spin bowling, with Renuka Singh and Radha Yadav emerging as standout performers. As India looks forward to the final, they will aim to carry this momentum and clinch the Asia Cup title.

India started their Asia Cup campaign with a bang, defeating Pakistan by seven wickets in Dambulla on Friday. Deepti Sharma, the Player of the Match, led a disciplined bowling effort, taking 3-20 to restrict Pakistan to just 108 runs. Openers Smriti Mandhana (45 off 31) and Shafali Verma (40 off 29) then chased down the target with ease, launching India’s title defense in style.

Powerplay: India’s strong start

Nida Dar chose to bat first on a dry, batting friendly pitch, but Pakistan’s top order struggled against Pooja Vastrakar’s early strikes. In contrast, India’s openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma went after the Pakistani bowlers, scoring at 9.5 runs per over in the first six overs. Pakistan managed only one double-digit over in their PowerPlay, with India’s pacers applying constant pressure in windy conditions.

Pakistan’s struggle: Vastrakar removes openers early

Pooja Vastrakar was in top form, removing both Pakistan openers in her PowerPlay overs. She used the short ball effectively, and despite a boundary off her first ball, she quickly took control. Pakistan’s top order couldn’t recover, managing only a few boundaries in the first six overs.

Spinners and Renuka Thakur keep Pakistan in check

India’s spinners took over, with Patil striking in her first over. Aliya Riaz fell to a leading edge, and with Harmanpreet Kaur also bowling spin, Pakistan crawled to 53/3 at the halfway mark. Vastrakar’s return added pressure, leading to the dismissal of Pakistan’s captain, Dar. Renuka Thakur then took two quick wickets in her final over, leaving Pakistan struggling.

Late counterattack curbed by off-spinners

Tuba Hassan and Fatima Sana provided some resistance, adding 31 runs for the ninth wicket. Tuba was aggressive, hitting boundaries off Deepti, Vastrakar, and Shreyanka, but Deepti dismissed her soon after. A run-out and a quick wicket by Patil ended Pakistan’s innings at 108 with four balls left.

India’s chase

Verma’s blazing start

Pakistan started with spin, but Shafali Verma quickly punished Sadia Iqbal. Verma and Mandhana kept the score ticking with boundaries, racing to 57 runs in the PowerPlay. Verma’s aggressive batting set the tone, hitting Fatima Sana for consecutive boundaries.

Mandhana seals the deal

Nashra Sandhu provided brief respite with a tight over, but Mandhana’s onslaught on Tuba ended Pakistan’s hopes. Mandhana hit five boundaries in one over, reaching 45 before being dismissed. Verma also fell, but D Hemalatha maintained the momentum with quick boundaries. Despite Sandhu’s late strike, India easily completed the chase in the 15th over.

POTM

Deepti Sharma received the Player of the Match award for her outstanding performance with the ball, taking 3-20.

Women’s Asia Cup T20, 2024 – Group A: