India beat Pakistan to maintain their supremacy in Women's World Cup

Dubai: India notched their second consecutive victory in the ICC Women's World Cup, defeating Pakistan by 88 runs in Colombo on Sunday.

Pakistan, still searching for form after a loss to Bangladesh in their opener, struggled once again despite a spirited fightback with the bat. The Indian pace attack, led by Renuka Singh and Kranti Gaud, set the tone early with a disciplined display of swing and seam bowling that rattled Pakistan’s top order.

Renuka’s relentless eight-over spell stifled Pakistan’s scoring rate, putting them on the back foot from the outset. Despite a valiant 81 off 106 balls from Sidra Amin — laced with nine fours and a six — and her 64-run partnership with Natalia Pervaiz (33 off 46), Pakistan faltered after the stand was broken.

India’s fielding was patchy, with Richa Ghosh missing a couple of chances including dropped catches and LBW reviews, but the bowlers ensured Pakistan never recovered. Amin’s dismissal ultimately sealed their fate, and the team was bowled out well short of the target.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan created history by bowling India out for the first time ever in a Women's ODI. Pacer Diana Baig was the star with figures of 4/69 in 10 overs — the best by a Pakistan pacer in a World Cup match — as India posted 247 all out in their 50 overs.

India’s innings, while without any individual 50-plus scores, was built on several useful contributions. Pratika Rawal (31 off 37) and Smriti Mandhana (23 off 32) laid the foundation with a 48-run opening stand. Middle-order batters Harleen Deol (46), Jemimah Rodrigues (32), Deepti Sharma (25), and Sneh Rana (20) got starts but failed to convert them into big scores, leaving India at 203/7 in the 46th over.

A late flourish from Richa Ghosh, who smashed 35 off just 20 balls with three fours and two sixes, boosted India to a competitive total. Interestingly, India’s 247 is their highest Women’s ODI total without a single half-century, surpassing the 227 against New Zealand in Ahmedabad last year.

India also faced 173 dot balls — the most in this tournament so far, and the second-highest for them in ODIs since January 2023.

For Pakistan, besides Diana Baig’s impressive spell, Sadia Iqbal (2/47) and skipper Fatima Sana (2/38) chipped in with wickets.