Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 06: India beat Pakistan by seven wickets on Saturday. Pakistan were bowled out for just 55. India stumbled early while chasing this target. Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma steadied the innings. The two teams did not shake hands afterward.
Pakistan chose to bat first after winning the toss. They raced to 27 runs in five overs. Shafali Verma then dismissed Muneeba Ali for 13. That breakthrough triggered a dramatic batting collapse. Pakistan lost all ten wickets for just 28 more. They finished at 55 all out in 18.1 overs. It was Pakistan’s lowest-ever T20I total.
India’s spin attack drove that collapse decisively. Shree Charani, Prema Rawat and Deepti Sharma shared the wickets. Charani and Rawat each claimed three wickets. Deepti picked up two more in support. Eyman Fatima was run out to complete the innings.
India’s chase began shakily despite the small target. Shafali Verma fell for 12 inside the first over. Fatima Sana then struck twice in her second over. Pratika Rawal made 4 before getting dismissed. Smriti Mandhana followed for 9 soon after. India slipped to 29 for 3 in four overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma steadied things from there. Harmanpreet finished unbeaten on 18 runs. Deepti remained not out on 12 runs. Together, they guided India to a seven-wicket win.
Fatima Sana reflected honestly on Pakistan’s batting failure. “We had a collapse in the batting,” she said. She admitted the team struggled throughout the innings. Sana noted the fresh pitch favored batting first. She still credited her bowling attack’s overall quality. On her own three wickets, she stayed pragmatic. “It doesn’t matter, we needed a win,” she said.
Shree Charani earned the Player of the Match award. She spoke about bowling to her strengths. “I just wanted to bowl according to the field,” she said. Charani also discussed her approach to consistency. She is closing in on 50 T20I wickets. She called the milestone meaningful but not the main focus.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised her team’s overall performance afterward. She called it a very important game for India. “We talk about being ruthless,” she said. Harmanpreet specifically highlighted her bowlers’ discipline and execution. She praised their ability to read the pitch well. Sticking to plans proved key, she explained.
The win extended India’s streak to three straight matches. India had already secured their semifinal spot earlier. This victory also lifted them to the top of Group A. The no-handshake stance between both sides continued throughout.
