In the scorching heat of Dubai, Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana made a crucial decision to bat first against India in their Group A encounter of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The match marked the first meeting between the two arch-rivals in the tournament.
Both teams entered the contest with minor injury concerns. Pakistan’s Diana Baig, who suffered a calf injury in their previous match against Sri Lanka, was replaced by legspinner Syeda Aroob Shah. This left Sana and Aliya Riaz as the only seam bowlers in Pakistan’s XI, which featured six spinners.
India, on the other hand, brought in S Sajana to replace the injured Pooja Vastrakar. Sajana’s inclusion slightly extended India’s batting depth but came at the expense of a seam bowler. The all-rounder had recently gained attention for hitting a last-ball six for Mumbai Indians in the WPL 2024 opener.
The match was played on a fresh pitch with almost equidistant square boundaries (61m and 60m). The longest hit was straight down the ground, measuring 73m. The temperature hovered around 37 degrees Celsius, adding to the physical challenge for both teams.
Pakistan’s batting lineup featured Muneeba Ali as the wicketkeeper, followed by Gull Feroza, Sidra Amin, Omaima Sohail, Nida Dar, Tuba Hassan, Fatima Sana, Aliya Riaz, Syeda Aroob Shah, Nashra Sandhu, and Sadiq Iqbal.
India’s batting order consisted of Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, S Sajana, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, and Renuka Singh.
The match promised to be a thrilling encounter between two of the top teams in women’s cricket. Pakistan would look to upset India and secure a crucial victory in their quest for a semifinal berth, while India aimed to maintain their dominance and extend their winning streak in the tournament.
