DUBAI: India captain Harma­npreet Kaur produced a steely 29 to steer her side to a scrappy six-wicket victory over Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.

Set 106 to win after restricting Pakistan to 105-8 in their 20 overs, India were looking comfortable at 61-1. But two wickets in two balls by Pakistan captain Fatima Sana opened the door before Kaur took her side to the brink of victory.

With India two runs short, however, she slipped and appeared to rick her neck, leaving the field unbeaten on 29 from 24 balls.

Sajeevan Sajana hit the winning runs from the next delivery as India closed on 108-4, winning with seven balls to spare.

“We have been very disciplined, followed the plans,” said India’s Smriti Mandhana. “In the field we were very good. Better start with the bat would have been good, but we will take that win.”

Nida Dar top-scored for Pakistan with 28 from 34 balls but there was little else to cheer after Fatima had won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket that produced some awkward bounce.

“We were not up to the mark in the batting. We were 10-15 runs short,” said Fatima.

All of the Indian bowlers contributed with Arundhati Reddy the most succesful as she removed Omaima Sohail (3) and Aliya Riaz (4) in the middle order before clean bowling Dar in the final over to finish with 3-19 from her four overs.

“I’ve worked a lot on my T20 bowling in all stages of the innings. I’m still working hard now. I kept it simple and attacked the stumps,” said Reddy who was named Player of the Match.

India lost Mandhana for seven but Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues took them to 61 before the second wicket fell in the 12th over.

Verma, their impressive 20-year-old opener, struck three fours in a 35-ball 32 before holing out to mid-on.

That gave Pakistan a sniff of a chance but Kaur made sure India made it 13 wins from 16 against Pakistan in T20Is.

After losing their opening match to New Zealand, this was a much-needed win for India in Group ‘A’. They remain fourth in the group, with Pakistan just ahead of them on net run rate.

WINDIES BOUNCE BACK

Former champions West Indies recovered from their opening rout by South Africa to defeat Scotland by six wickets in the Group ‘B’ fixture.

The Scots struggled to 99-8 in their 20 overs before the West Indies chased down their target with 50 balls to spare, securing victory and an impressive boost to their net run-rate.

Qiana Joseph top-scored with 31 from 18 balls, hitting three four and a six. Deandra Dottin cracked two sixes in her undefeated 28 from 15 balls while sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 42 with player of the match Chinelle Henry.

Henry made a brisk 18 from 10 balls with two fours and a six having earlier returned figures of 1-10 from four overs of fast bowling.

Opting to bat first, skipper Kathryn Bryce (25) and Ailsa Lister (26) had attempted to steady the ship for Scotland with a 46-run partnership for the third wicket after both openers were back in the pavilion with just 13 on the board.

However, Bryce and Lister fell to 37-year-old leg-spinner Afy Fletcher who also dismissed Priyanaz Chatterji for a first-ball duck as the Scots’ middle order crumbled.

West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews had opener Saskia Horley caught at midwicket by Dottin in the second over to reach 100 wickets in T20 international cricket.

Scores in brief:

India beat Pakistan by six wickets

PAKISTAN 105-8 in 20 overs (Nida Dar 28, Muneeba Ali 17; Arundhati Reddy 3-19, Shreyanka Patil 2-12); INDIA 108-4 in 18.5 overs (Shafali Verma 32, Harmanpreet Kaur 29 retired hurt, Jemimah Rodrigues 23; Fatima Sana 2-23)

West Indies beat Scotland by six wicketsSCOTLAND 99-8 in 20 overs (Ailsa Lister 26, Kathryn Bryce 25; Afy Fletcher 3-22); WEST INDIES 101-4 in 11.4 overs (Qiana Joseph 31, Deandra Dottin 28 not out; Olivia Bell 2-18).

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2024