Women’s T20 World Cup: India beat Pakistan as Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh smash 42 in 3 overs in tough chase

Cape Town, February 12

With India requiring 47 runs off the final five overs, there were nervous faces in the Indian camp, but Richa Ghosh and Jemimah Rodrigues smashed the ball around to take India to victory over Pakistan in their opening Group 2 match of the Women’s T20 World Cup here today. Richa and Jemimah, in fact, knocked off 42 runs in three overs and India romped to a seven-wicket victory with one full over to spare.

It is India’s highest successful chase at the T20 World Cup. It is also the second-highest run-chase of all time at the T20 World Cup

Richa struck five fours in her 20-ball 31 not out, while Jemimah made an unbeaten 53 off 38 balls, reaching her half-century with the four that took India past Pakistan’s total.

I knew we had to build partnerships. I knew if we take it deep we will win. Richa and I had a good partnership against Bangladesh too. This innings means a lot to me. Hadn’t been getting scores for a long time. Jemimah Rodrigues, player of the match

Jemimah and Richa batted really well. All the players are keen to do well for the team. Whoever is getting an opportunity is pushing themselves. Good sign for us. Every match is important, no matter the opponent, but obviously Pakistan is a big game. Harmanpreet Kaur, India captain

When the two teams last clashed, Pakistan had upset the Indians by 13 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup in Sylhet last October, and when India lost skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for 16, a second shock defeat could not be ruled out — it was 93/3 in 13.3 overs, and India needed 56 runs off 39 balls. But Richa, who was part of the team that won the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup recently, batted with customary aggression while Jemimah was her usual busy self as the two added 58 runs off only 33 balls.

Richa had a lucky escape when, off the final ball of the 16th over, she was given out LBW to Sadia Iqbal. Richa immediately reviewed the decision and replays showed that she had edged the ball off her glove to the pads and thus got a reprieve.

However, the equation was tough — India needed 41 off 24 balls then — but Richa and Jemimah were equal to the challenge. Each hit off-spinner Nida Dar for a four in the next over, and then Richa stuck medium-pacer Aiman Answer for three fours in a row in the 18th over. Now, with five fours being hit in the 11 previous balls, India were on top, needing 14 off the final 12 balls. Medium-pacer Fatima Sana had the ball for the 19th over, and Jemimah struck the second ball for four through the leg side. After the two Indians ran two singles, Jemimah smashed the fifth ball for four on the off-side and the sixth for the winning boundary with an inside-out shot, sparking celebrations in the Indian camp.

India had got off to a good start, with Yastika Bhatia (17) and Shafali Verma (33) adding 38 runs in 5.3 overs.

Captain’s knock

Earlier, captain Bismah Maroof’s unbeaten 68 and a blazing 43 not out from Ayesha Naseem helped Pakistan post a challenging 149/4 in their 20 overs. Radha Yadav was the most successful India bowler, returning figures of 2/21 in four overs. Deepti Sharma got India the first break when Javeria Khan (8) went for a sweep, only to top-edge the ball, and Harmanpreet took the catch.

Radha got rid of the dangerous opener Muneeba Ali for 12 to reduce Pakistan to 42/2. The India spinner saw the Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter coming down the track and fired an arm ball outside off — Muneeba swiped but missed and Richa Ghosh whipped the bails off. Bismah and Ayesha stitched together an 81-run partnership, with the latter’s 43 coming off just 25 balls at a strike rate of 172. — TNS, PTI

Brief scores: Pakistan: 149/4 (Maroof 68*, Naseem 43; Yadav 2/21, Vastrakar 1/30); India 151/3 in 19 overs (Rodrigues 53*, Verma 33, Ghosh 31*; Sandhu 2/15).