Ruthless India decimate Pakistan in one-sided affair

India made short work of Pakistan in their Women's Asia Cup clash in Dubai on Saturday (September 5), bowling them out for just 55 before chasing down the target in 8.4 overs. Pakistan's lowest-ever all-out total in Women's T20Is left India needing only 56, and although Fatima Sana briefly gave her side hope by removing three of India's top-order batters, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma ensured there was no late drama. India won by seven wickets to finish top of Group A with three wins from three.

Pakistan opted to bat first and made a reasonably steady start, with Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar putting on 27 for the opening wicket. Muneeba survived a couple of chances early on, including a straightforward dropped chance at cover-point, before Shafali Verma finally broke through in the fifth over, bowling her for 13 off 15. That dismissal opened the floodgates.

Gull Feroza fell three balls later, caught at backward point after charging down the pitch and trying to heave a Shree Charani delivery against the turn. Zulfiqar, who had been the more fluent of the openers with three boundaries in her 14 off 14, was the next to go in the same over, with Charani trapping her in front. Ayesha Zafar then hit an in-drifter straight to Harmanpreet Kaur at mid-on, leaving Pakistan reeling at 32 for 4.

The collapse gathered pace from there. Sadaf Shamas was bowled by Prema Rawat for three, going for a slog and missing a quicker delivery that straightened to hit the stumps. Fatima Sana followed in the next over, trapped lbw by Deepti Sharma as Pakistan were left tottering at 35 for 6.

Eyman Fatima and Umm-e-Hani briefly resisted with a 10-run stand, but there was little sign of a recovery. Eyman was run out for five whereas Umm-e-Hani top-edged a sweep off Rawat to Nandani Sharma at short fine. Rawat struck again to remove Nashra Sandhu for a duck before Deepti finished the innings by having Tuba Hassan stumped as Pakistan were sent packing in 18.1 overs.

Charani and Rawat finished with three wickets apiece, while Deepti took two. Only Muneeba and Zulfiqar reached double figures.

India's chase began with the sort of aggression that suggested the target would be chased very quickly. Shafali launched the first ball of the chase over long-off for six and then took a single off the next delivery to reach 3000 runs in Women's T20Is. At 22 years and 220 days, she became the youngest player to reach the landmark.

Pakistan, however, found a brief opening through their captain. Fatima Sana struck twice in the second over. Shafali got a leading edge that ballooned back to the bowler whereas Pratika Rawal got a fine edge through to the keeper. Smriti Mandhana, fresh from her record-breaking knock against Hong Kong, China, looked to settle things down but fell in Fatima's next over, lbw for nine.

That was as close as Pakistan came to turning the game around. Harmanpreet and Deepti avoided taking unnecessary risks, rotating the strike and waiting for scoring opportunities. Deepti eventually broke the sequence of dots with a slog-swept four off Nashra Sandhu in the seventh over before Harmanpreet, in her 150th T20I as captain, brought the game to an emphatic close with a six off Sandhu straight down the ground.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 55 in 18.1 overs (Shawaal Zulfiqar 14; Shree Charani 3-7, Prema Rawat 3-9) lost to India 57/3 in 8.4 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 18*, Deepti Sharma 12*; Fatima Sana 3-17) by 7 wickets.