India delivered a clinical performance during their Women’s Asia Cup fixture in Dubai on Saturday, September 5, dismantling Pakistan for a meager 55 runs. This total marked the lowest all-out score for Pakistan in the history of Women’s T20 Internationals. While Pakistan’s skipper Fatima Sana provided a momentary spark by dismissing three top-order Indian batters, the target of 56 proved insufficient to challenge the favorites, as India reached the goal in just 8.4 overs to secure a seven-wicket win and finish atop Group A.
A Rapid Collapse for Pakistan
Pakistan initially appeared composed, with openers Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar stitching together a 27-run partnership. Muneeba enjoyed some fortune early on, including a dropped catch at cover-point, but her luck expired in the fifth over when Shafali Verma bowled her for 13. This breakthrough triggered a catastrophic batting collapse. Gull Feroza departed shortly after, followed by Zulfiqar, who contributed 14 runs before being trapped leg-before by Shree Charani. By the time Ayesha Zafar hit a delivery directly to Harmanpreet Kaur at mid-on, Pakistan had plummeted to 32 for 4.
Disciplined Bowling Performance
- Shree Charani and Prema Rawat were the standout performers, each claiming three wickets to stifle any potential recovery.
- Deepti Sharma provided excellent support, finishing the innings by stumping Tuba Hassan, which brought the Pakistan innings to a close in 18.1 overs.
- Sadaf Shamas and Fatima Sana were dismissed in quick succession, leaving the middle order unable to cope with the precision of the Indian attack.
- Only Muneeba and Zulfiqar managed to reach double-digit scores, highlighting the struggles of the remaining lineup against the disciplined bowling unit.
Shafali Verma’s Milestone and India’s Chase
India’s pursuit of the modest target began with immediate intent. Shafali Verma smashed the opening delivery for a massive six over long-off, a shot that also pushed her past the 3,000-run milestone in T20I cricket. At 22 years and 220 days old, she etched her name in the record books as the youngest player to achieve this feat. Although Fatima Sana briefly threatened to disrupt the chase by removing Shafali, Pratika Rawal, and Smriti Mandhana, the Indian middle order remained composed.
Closing the Encounter
Harmanpreet Kaur, marking her 150th T20I appearance as captain, combined with Deepti Sharma to steer the team home. The pair prioritized rotating the strike to neutralize the pressure before accelerating toward the finish. Deepti found a boundary off Nashra Sandhu in the seventh over, and Harmanpreet eventually sealed the contest with a decisive six straight down the ground. The final scorecard reflected the lopsided nature of the match: Pakistan 55 all out in 18.1 overs, with India responding with 57/3 in 8.4 overs. The report also notes that with Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar putting on 27 for the opening wicket, pakistan opted to bat first and made a reasonably steady start. The report also notes that including a straightforward dropped chance at cover-point, before Shafali Verma finally broke through in the fifth over, bowling her for 13 off 15, muneeba survived a couple of chances early on. The report also notes that 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. The report also notes that the collapse gathered pace from there. The report also notes that trapped lbw by Deepti Sharma as Pakistan were left tottering at 35 for 6, fatima Sana followed in the next over. The report also notes that but there was little sign of a recovery, eyman Fatima and Umm-e-Hani briefly resisted with a 10-run stand.
