India vs Pakistan Women's World Cup 2022 Highlights: Vastrakar-Rana, bowlers give India 107-run win in campaign opener

Women's World Cup 2022 IND vs PAK: Get live scores, commentary and updates from the CWC game between India and Pakistan in Tauranga on Sunday.

Updated : Mar 06, 2022 14:01 IST

Sneh Rana with her unbeaten 53 and two-wicket haul was crucial in ensuring India beat Pakistan by a massive 107-run margin in their opening World Cup fixture in Tauranga on Sunday.
Sneh Rana with her unbeaten 53 and two-wicket haul was crucial in ensuring India beat Pakistan by a massive 107-run margin in their opening World Cup fixture in Tauranga on Sunday.
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Sneh Rana with her unbeaten 53 and two-wicket haul was crucial in ensuring India beat Pakistan by a massive 107-run margin in their opening World Cup fixture in Tauranga on Sunday.

Welcome to Sportstar 's coverage of the 2022 ODI Women's World Cup [CWC 2022]. This is Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan and Santadeep Dey bringing you the latest from the WC game between India and Pakistan in Tauranga on Sunday.


Mithali Raj:
We are relieved to have won the first game but there are a lot of things we have to work on. When you lose wickets like that in the middle order, it does put pressure. Very important partnership between Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar. It is important that the top order scores runs.

On allrounders: When you have allrounders like Sneh, Pooja and Deepti, it strengthens both departments.

On Pooja's fitness: We have a couple of days, Pooja will definitely recover and be fit for the next game

Bismah Maroof:
I think we bowled well in the middle. We were in the game. We bowled loose balls and Pooja and Sneh batted really well. Credit to them. We gave away easy runs to them. We were swapping the field as well and we didn't put them under pressure. Credit to them, they kept their innings alive and finished the game. We wouldn't change the decision at the toss. We didn't maintain the momentum we had. We want our batters to score runs. Our shot selection was not good.

Pooja Vastrakar is the player of the match for her brilliant 67-run knock:
Very happy for my first Player of the Match, that too in a World Cup game. The focus was to get the team towards 200 and I planned my batting keeping that in mind. Batters said the surface was slow, so we shouldn't aim too high. I enjoy batting under pressure. In domestic cricket, coaches always send me out to bat when the team is under pressure.

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PAKISTAN INNINGS

PAK 137/10  (43 overs):
Meghna Singh comes in and keeps things tight before removing Diana Baig in the last ball of her over to wrap up the Pakistan innings. INDIA WIN BY 107 RUNS

PAK 137/9 (42 overs): Goswami's last over and she has one last chance to equal that record for most World Cup wickets. But the record has to wait as she finished her 10 over spell conceding five runs. Diana Baig seems to be having some fun at Goswami's expense.

STAT: Richa Ghosh is the only keeper to take five dismissals on debut in the World Cup.

PAK 132/9 (41 overs): Diana and Amin keep the scoreboard ticking with singles and doubles.

PAK 127/9 (40 overs): Diana fails to execute the scoop off Jhulan's bowling and takes a tumble. A hurried run in the end ensures she'll keep strike.

PAK 122/9 (39 overs): Diana is keeping everybody on their toes, with the occasional big heave. This time it lands short of Harmanpreet at long-on.

PAK 121/9 (38 overs): Gayakwad to bowl out. She'll look to grab a fifer. Diana, however, ruins her plans with a slog sweep towards midwicket for four.

PAK 114/9 (37 overs): A slip in place for Nashra, who will face Rana's spin now. She's gone! This one takes the inside edge before lobbing into the gloves of Ghosh who hurried past the batter to dive full-length. Nashra isn't happy but she has to walk now that there are no reviews left in the kitty.

PAK 113/8 (36 overs): There's no stopping that one... Sidra shuffles across and scythes this through point for four. Pakistan has no reviews left and that means Sidra's got to go, dismissed leg-before by Gayakwad.

PAK 109/7 (35 overs): Rana nearly bowls Sidra through the gates, it just misses the top of off stump. Sidra almost gets a boundary next but substitute fielder Renuka does the fine job of pulling the ball back in in the last minute.

PAK 104/7 (34 overs): Fatima delays the inevitable as she goes upstairs to review an LBW decision. Looks plumb. Plumb it is. Diana runs a couple to take Pakistan past 100.

PAK 98/6 (33 overs): Rana keeps one straighter which beats Sidra on the outside edge. Even Ghosh fumbles behind the wicket. Almost! Sidra almost plays one back to Rana. She is living a charmed life.

PAK 96/6 (32 overs): Gayakwad continues to trouble Pakistan with the added turn. The ball continues to grip the used track well.

PAK 94/6 (31 overs): Fatima starts off with a welcome boundary off Meghna's bowling after drinks. Harman breaks the sticks with a direct hit at the bowler's end. We will have an umpire's referral. Not out! Fatima's bat was grounded. Meghna gets Sidra to edge but it falls just short of Jhulan at first slip.

PAK 87/6 (30 overs):
Early stumping appeal here from Richa, but Fatima has feet in place and no edge. WV Raman shares how Ghosh has worked extra hard on her keeping to make a space for herself in this Indian team. Stunning stories from this bunch of players.  Fatima Sana gets a run from an inside edge, but all eyes are on Gayakwad who is getting the ball to do so much right now.  There's another stumping call this time for Aliya Riaz. She's well out of her crease and so it goes to the third umpire. No edge. Her bat is in the air when the bails are taken off and so Aliya has to walk right back to the pavilion. OUT Aliya Riaz 11 (23b) St Ghosh b Gayakwad

PAK 86/5 (29 overs): A very defensive field for Aliya. After Fatima got the one run, she seems to be getting frustrated that Aliya is unable to get one herself. India is getting into their heads, Fatima's at least.

PAK 85/5 (28 overs):
Tight fields here for these two but Gayakwad doesn't need it to come to that. Just the two runs conceded. Really choking Pakistan here. That flourish for this side is long due.

PAK 83/5 (27 overs): Good running between the wickets here from the Pakistan duo as Sharma tosses it up to begin with. Just the four runs for Pakistan.

PAK 79/5 (26 overs): Jhulan returns, She is two wickets short of overtaking Lyn Fullston's haul of 39 World Cup wickets. Can she, can't she? We'll need to wait and watch. Meanwhile WV Raman is explaining some of the work Jhulan did over last year to correct her follow through. She is easily one of the most disciplined pacers in terms of line and length. She consistently manages to keep them tight. Seeing the BTS of her perfecting every aspect of that is eye opening.  Just the one run from her over.

PAK 78/5 (25 overs): Relatively better over here from Pakistan with Aliya and Fatima negotiating Sneh Rana for six runs.

PAK 72/5 (24 overs): Nida Dar, in her ICC bio, said that the one bowler she'd like to take on is Jhulan Goswami. Well, Goswami has just TAKEN OUT Nida Dar. Richa Ghosh gets her third catch of the day thanks to that outside edge. Jhulan is now second in the list of highest wickets in the Women's World Cup. Just the two run come off the over. OUT NIDA DAR 4 (10) b Ghosh b Goswami 4

PAK 70/4 (23 overs): Aliya Riaz trying to find her feet now and manages just two runs in this Sneh Rana over.

PAK 67/4 (22 overs): Jhulan gets her first wicket and it's the relatively experienced Sidra Amin. She made 30 off 64 deliveries. My word. Did I jinx her? It's a good length ball and she'd edged it to the keeper. Undone in pressure but Aliya Riaz and Nida Dar need to do Rana-Vastrakar here. OUT Sidra Ameen 30(64) c Ghosh b Goswami

This has been the slowest chase in the tournament so far.

PAK 67/3 (21 overs): Sneh Rana is neat and stingy yet again. Just the two runs off her over here.

PAK 65/3 (20 overs): Five runs off this Deepti Sharma over as Nida Dar tries to settle in quick and get going.

Sana Mir: I think Pakistan was a bit over cautious with their team selection with the six bowlers. Advantage goes to India in this situation.

Sidra Amini s still there. Don't count her out. But she needs support to do anything special here.

PAK 60/3 (19 overs): Sneh Rana is in. Sohail gets two runs behind point but is caught in the slip right after. She tries to drive here but ends up edging it to Deepti Sharma in the slips. Desperation dripping from Javeria's face in the dugout. Four runs come off this over in total. OUT Omaima Sohail 5(4b) c Deepti Sharma b Sneh Rana

PAK 56/2 (18 overs): After two singles of the first two balls, Maroof sends Sharma to the fence behind point. That brings up the 50 for Pakistan. J ust when you think she is slowly amping the run rate, she ends up sweeping and edging the ball to Richa Ghosh behind the stumps. Umpire's finger goes off, Maroof reviews; replay validates umpire; Maroof walks. Omaima Sohail comes out to take her place and gets a quick three runs wide of slip. OUT Bismah Maroof 15 (25b) c Richa Ghosh b Deepti Sharma

PAK 47/1 (17 overs): Another tight over from Gayakwad. Just the two runs .

Pakistan's highest total against India is 192. This one might not be as hard as it seems by that yardstick. Let's see where the game takes us.

PAK 45/1 (16 overs): Quiet over from Deepti Sharma as she gives just two runs. Game is poised here. A few wickets will swing the game in India's favour. A few boundaries will boost Pakistan's morale. Exciting. Grab your snacks and stay tuned!

PAK 43/1 (15 overs): Gayakwad is trying to get as much a turn as she can and ends up conceding just three runs in total.

PAK 40/1 (14 overs):
Sharma keeps things tight but Ameen manages a boundary off that last ball, sending a wide off to point. Five off the over in total.

PAK 35/1 (13 overs): Gayakwad doing what she was expected to do. Keep the rate low. Just the two runs off her second over.

PAK 33/1 (12 overs): Bismah Maroof comes in at number 3 and gets off the mark with a boundary down backward point. Five runs come off the over in total which sees Deepti Sharma introduced. Bismah and Sidra need to keep rotating strike and keep the runs coming.

PAK 28/1 (11 overs): Rajeshwari Gayakwad is introduced and almost immediately delivers. Concedes just two runs off the over, visibly unsettling Javeria who seems a little impatient to keep the runs coming. In the final delivery, she mistimes a shot that she doesn't seem to have middled properly straight to Jhulan Goswami at mid on. After eating up all those deliveries in the powerplay, this is wasteful. OUT Javeria Khan 11(28) c Jhulan Goswami b Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Very conservative start from Pakistan. The idea seems to be to not lose wickets. The duo at the crease took time to get in and get a feel of the surface and are just starting to open their arms a bit and play. Mithali has been very aggressive with that offside field and it has given the openers little to no space. Can they get a little more consistent with the runs now? India brings in spin.

 

PAK 26/0 (10 overs): The runs are starting to come for Pakistan. After two singles from the first two deliveries, Javeria Khan opens her arms and slices one to the cover-point boundary. There's a run out chance in the final delivery as Sidra and Javeria try and negotiate a second run. Javeria the batter in trouble. The decision goes upstairs and she is declared safe after grounding her bat in time.

PAK 17/0 (9 overs):
Sidra Ameen is starting to get the feel of it a bit. She pulls square for a boundary, nicely rolling her wrists there.

PAK 12/0 (8 overs): First boundary of the innings for Pakistan comes off Amin's bat.
That takes the match tally of boundaries to 19. The Australia vs England game had over 50 yesterday? (40+ for sure) Let me quickly check that.

PAK 8/0 (7 overs):
Just two singles from this Jhulan Goswami over. Javeria finally gets off the mark as well.


PAK 6/0  (6 overs):
Yet another maiden over for Meghana. Mithali's competitive fields are really helping choke the openers early on. It remains to be seen how patient this Pakistan opening duo is.

This is Pakistan's sixth opening combination in 14 games,
if I am not wrong. They are still searching for that perfect pairing. The only consistent pairing instantly coming to mind in world cricket is when Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt come together. Another bunch of girls killing it in green!

PAK 6/0 (5 overs):
Business as usual for Jhulan as she concedes just one run as Sidra Ameen steers her to third man for a single.

12 balls. No runs for Pakistan. India was 5/1 at the same stage.

PAK 5/0 (4 overs):
Meghna returns. Maiden for the young pacer.

PAK 5/0 (3 overs): 
Slow start. Nida Dar spoke about learning things from the Indian innings. Hope one of those things is to not leave too much to do for the end. Like Bangladesh did in their game against South Africa yesterday. ( More info here ) Jhulan does get an opportunity in the final ball of that over with the ball hitting the top of Sidra Ameen's pads. Umpire says not out and Mithali also denies going for the review maybe thinking this pitches outside. Replays show the ball pitched outside and misses the wickets. Good call by all.  Maiden for Jhulan

PAK 5/0 (2 overs): Meghna to share the new ball. Renuka Singh is on the field for Vastrakar, who is being treated by the physio as of now. Just a single off the over as Javeria is yet to get off the blocks.

PAK 4/0 (1 over): Amin gets off the mark with a couple. Would have been a boundary if not for an excellent diving effort at the third-man boundary by Meghna Singh.

Sidra Amin and Javeria Khan to open for Pakistan. India's Jhulan Goswami has the new ball in hand.

WHAT THEY SAID

Nida Dar: It was not a good start for me. I like attacking the batter and focusing on my consistency. But I eventually managed to recover and it went well. I bowled according to the situation in the match. 244 runs is pretty chaseable. Wicket looks flat now. I hope we will chase it down. We learnt a lot from the two batters at the end (Rana, Vastrakar) and we will hope to do as well when we come to bat. As a senior player, it is my responsibility to work towards chasing the target and building partnerships.

INDIA INNINGS

India lost Shafali Verma for a duck early on, but Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma steadied the ship with a 92-run partnership. Deepti Sharma's dismissal triggered a rut with the dot balls raking up. Mithali Raj struggled to get going and the scoring rate dropped. With Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh falling cheaply and Mithali evenly succumbing to the pressure, the onus fell on Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar. As they have multiple time, the duo scripted an incredible comeback for this Indian side with a 122-run stand for the 7th wicket, India's highest partnership in ODIs for that wicket, to help India finish with 244 on the board.

Pakistan's bowling performance was disciplined and researched. Neat fielding, strategic fields and focused line and length helped Bismah Maroof and Co. strangle the attack a bit. The pitch being a used one, the moisture on the surface seemed to aid the spinners. Rana and Vastrakar threw a spanner in the works for the side and they will feel they let them easy after the 35th over. It will come down to a spirited batting performance from Pakistan to secure a win.



IND 244/7 (50 overs): Fatima Sana removes Pooja Vastrakar up front. Finally the partnership is broken as her leg stump lies shattered. She gets a standing ovation as she walks back to the pavilion and crosses Jhulan Goswami who is prompt to give her a hug and a pat for her incredible effort here.  Fatima Sana keeps her line consistent and Goswami and Rana can only manage singles oh but wait. Not so fast. Jhulan Goswami will end it with a bang. A boundary over midwicket, almost from an inside edge. 244. Unbelievable recovery for India. OUT Pooja Vastrakar 67(59) b Fatima Sana

IND 236/6 (49 overs): What an over to not have visuals for! Rana and Vastrakar are breaking Diana Baig's discipline with a single and a boundary each to start off the 49th over. Massive intent from this pair to get India to a competitive total. Fifty for Rana . Vastrakar gets one more to the boundary ropes before a lbw appeal has her waiting for her fate. While no bat is involved, the ball is pitching outside leg and Vastrakar lives to face another ball. We have eyes on the ground now. Right on time for that last over.

IND 221/6 (48 overs): A technical issue with the broadcast is robbing us of visuals but the action continues. Six runs come off the 48th over with Pooja Vastrakar struggling a fair bit with her leg. She's down on her knees. Hope it is just a cramp and nothing else. Her history with injuries is long and painfully (physically and emotionally).

IND 215/6 (47 overs): Baig back into the attack. Vastrakar is struggling with her leg but she runs a quick two runs in the first delivery of the over to bring up her maiden World Cup fifty. This is her debut World Cup. What a performance from Vastrakar! 100 partnership comes up for this pair.

STAT: This is India's highest ever partnership for the seventh wicket in the format.  Update: This is the highest ever partnership for this wicket.

IND 207/6 (46 overs): Rana dispatches a fuller delivery from Anam to deep midwicket for a single to bring up the India 200. Vastrakar tops that with a fierce paddle down leg for four. Eight runs come from the over in total. Four overs to go. Can India touch 240?

IND 199/6 (45 overs):
Nashra returns. She keeps it straight and on good length but Rana still manages a boundary beating the cover fielder. Seven runs off the over.

IND 192/6 (44 overs): This is a good comeback from Fatima Sana who pulls things back a bit, giving away just four runs.

54 of those runs in the last six overs.

74 from 60 deliveries so far for Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar. Well done.

IND 188/6 (43 overs):
Sneh Rana picks short fine to send the ball for a couple of runs. She's optimising the spaces in the field. Bismah Maroof, who has had a brilliant game as captain, must be scratching her head now. Six runs come off the over and this is one of India's quieter overs. Can you imagine that?

IND 182/6 (42 overs):
Vastrakar starts off with a single and Rana then hammers one down deep midwicket for four but that's followed by a run out chance triggered by Diana Baig. Vastrakar the batter in trouble. She's safely in and gets another run from the overthrow but it's how casually she saunters into the crease that's a little funny and nerve wracking at the same time. Rana squeezes the next ball down to cover for three runs. Vastrakar finds the gap again around point. 12 runs from this over.



IND 170/6 (41 overs): Rana welcomes Diana Beg with a boundary, using the pace of her delivery to nudge this wide of the keeper for four. Fifty partnership comes up for Rana and Vastrakar. Crucial stand this but disappointing that India is back to depending on its lower middle order. Ten runs from this over for the two Indian batters. Pakistan needs to break this partnership.
 

IND 160/6 (40 overs): After a single from Rana, Vastrakar brings up 150 for India. Short delivery from Amin and it's cut for four. 12 runs come in total from the over. Vastrakar has raced off to 33 from 29 balls.

IND 148/6 (39 overs): Another good over for India. Seven runs off it and it all boils down to cricket's favourite word - Intent.  A lovely drive down mid off by Vastrakar the highlight of this over from Diana Baig.

IND 141/6 (38 overs): India is making good use of the left arm spin spells here. They are using gaps in the field and capitalising on that outfield. Vastrakar goes a step further and cuts between point and cover for a boundary. Seven runs from the over.

IND 134/6 (37 overs):
Diana Beg returns to the attack. Baig is switching between good length an fuller deliveries to try and entice this duo to come out and play so as to induce an error. Smart cricket so far from Rana and Vastrakar. Good strike rotation. Five runs come off the over.

IND 129/6 (36 overs):
Rana and Vastrakar can bat and this the opportunity for them to prove it. There is a sense of urgency to this pair and they are running well between the wickets to keep ticking away the runs. Six runs from the over. They are finding the gaps and beating fielders well here. More of that, please.

IND 123/6 (35 overs):
India finally gets a boundary and it's no surprise that it's Pooja Vastrakar who gets it for the side. She gets back to back boundaries, one cut through extra cover and the other wide of cover. Nicely done and a welcome relief for India.

Last 10 overs, 4 wickets and 17 runs. Dot bolls in the Indian innings so far

IND 115/6 (34 overs): Sandhu removes Mithali first ball!
The pressure was palpable and Mithali has holed out to Diana Baig as she tries to drag the ball over mid on. Can't help but wonder if this might help the Indian innings, given Mithali was eating up deliveries. OUT Mithali Raj 9(36) c Diana Baig b Nashra Sandhu

IND 114/5 (33 overs): A maiden over for Dar.
No boundary since the 21st over. Pakistan well and truly in control.

IND 114/5 (32 overs):
Sneh Rana has joined Mithali. India needs to get going with its scoring Fatima Sana has pulled things back. Just two runs conceded in this over. 4 wickets for 17 runs in last 10 overs for Pakistan. If that's not a comeback, what is?

IND 112/5 (31 overs):
Mithali gets a single, pressure now on Richa to up the temp a bit but she crumbles. BIG WICKET . Dar gets Richa Ghosh. Richa tries to sweep and the ball takes a bottom edge and crashes into the stumps. OUT Richa Ghosh 1 (5) b Nida Dar

IND 111/4 (30 overs): Concerns for India as the scoring rate falls. Mithali Raj has taken 22 balls to get to five runs and will need to amp up the pace. Richa Ghosh is in for Harman and that might help the run rate but she needs to see out the first few deliveries. I am not sure if it's because the pitch has also slowed down, given how everyone else has also performed today. Three runs off the over. Dots will be more valuable for wickets as far as Pakistan is concerned as things stand.

IND 108/4 (29 overs):
Only eight runs have come off the last five odd overs and Pakistan can rejoice some more as they've removed India vice captain Harmanpreet Kaur. She's taken out by her counterpart, Nida Dar. Kaur comes out of the crease and takes a hit to the pads and is promptly given out. She reviews but does not survive. OUT Harmanpreet Kaur 5(14) lbw Nida Dar

IND 106/3 (28 overs): Fatima Sana concedes just the two runs. Will we hear whispers of the strike rate criticism revisiting events at the Bay Oval? I can't help but wonder what this innings would have looked like if Yastika or Jemimah were here. Jemi did not make the squad but Yastika has been in good touch in the run up to this game. Missed opportunity for India?

IND 104/3 (27 overs): Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur need to get going here but Dar manages to give just two runs.

IND 102/3 (26 overs): How long did Anam wait to get Smriti? The Indian star struggled against her today, barely managing to free her arms against her and Anam rightly walks away with a wicket. Mithali and Harman get a run each but India clearly falling back to a defensive strategy now.

IND 100/3 (25 overs): ADVANTAGE PAKISTAN. Anam Amin curves one into Smriti who gets some flight as she plays it with the face of the bat. Anam has to dive to her right to catch that but she does. Big breakthrough for Pakistan. Smriti grimaces as she makes the long walk back to the pavilion. She looked good for a big score here. Harmanpreet joins Mithali. Two runs come off the over for India. OUT Smriti Mandhana 52 (75b) c & b Anam Amin

IND 98/2 (24 overs): Nashra continues. Tight over. Mithali is taking her time to get the feel of the pitch. Just the one run from Mandhana.

IND 97/2 (23 overs): Mithali has joined Smriti in the middle. The solitary run conceded by Anam.

IND 96/2 (22 overs): Nashra continues. Mandhana gets to her half century with a single to long off, her 25th 50+ score in ODIs, third in World Cups and first against Pakistan. The celebration though is short-lived as Nashra removes Deepti in the very next ball. A slower bowl catches Deepti off guard as she tries to get on her knee and pull. The ball goes through and uproots her off stump. That ends a 92-run stand between Mandhana and Deepti. Four runs off the over for India, but the crucial wicket of Deepti Sharma falls too. OUT Deepti Sharma 40 (57) b Nashra Sandhu

IND 92/1 (21 overs):
Deepti is clear with the game plan, she is playing perfect second fiddle without taking too many risks, ensuring things ease out for Smriti at the other end. Dar has five fielders for Deepti on the on side but Deepti still pierces the gaps and gets a few runs here. Five runs come off the over for this duo and India.

IND 87/1 (20 overs): Nashra Sandhu from the other end. India dealing in ones and twos. The rotation of strike is heartening. Four runs off the over.

IND 83/1 (19 overs):
Nida Dar returns. She alternates between tossing the bowl up and going slower. Five runs off the over during which Smriti Mandhana crosses 2500 runs in ODIs. She's the fourth Indian batter after Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra and Harmanpreet Kaur to achieve this.

IND 78/1 (18 overs): Nashra continues.  Smriti Mandhana's timing is really something else. Finesse, says WV Raman on comms. He would know! He was India's former head coach before Ramesh Powar took over. She punches one down cover for a quick couple of runs. Very sleek there. Four runs off the over.

IND 74/1 (17 overs): Nasser: If Deepti Sharma needs a boundary, it's going to be over or through midwicket. Deepti shows us why. Her go-to shot finds no one to stop the ball racing down the outfield. Fatima Sana concedes a boundary up front. Maroof places a fielder in the deep midwicket for Deepti but she manages a flick off the pads towards the very same region and a misfield allows Deepti three runs.

STAT: This is the second consecutive 50+ partnership for Deepti Sharma and Smriti Mandhana in ODIs.

IND 65/1 (16 overs):
Nashra Sandhu into the attack and it's a tight start from the spinner. Mandhana is hesitant with her running between the wickets and the ones and twos have been strained so far. Just the one run from the over.

IND 64/1 (15 overs): Fatima Sana comes in, after a chat with Bismah Maroof. After a single down deep square and a couple through cover, Mandhana underlines why she's so highly rated as a wristy batter with a beautiful flick between mid on and midwicket. Lovely timing. Seven runs off the over.

IND 57/1 (14 overs): Dar returns. Deepti sweeps straight off and manages two runs, but is beaten in the next ball with a turning delivery that goes inwards. There's a run out opportunity here as Deepti cuts the next delivery and Mandhana darts to make it to the non strikers. Replays show she is safe. Couple of singles to finish the over.

IND 52/1 (13 overs): A loud appeal by Fatima for LBW. However, that seemed to have pitched outside leg and struck Deepti quite high on the pads. Wide, no ball, free hit, wide... clumsy from Fatima. The 50 comes up for India as Deepti manages to pick only a single off the Free Hit.

IND 46/1 (12 overs): Dar starts off with a wide down leg. Deepti and Smriti resort to the sweep to counter spin. One that was bowled too straight has been guided down fine leg by Smriti.

IND 38/1 (11 overs): The bottom hand comes into play as Deepti is offered a bit of room by Fatima and she has whipped this past mid-on. With the slip taken out, Deepti manages to eke out a single as well.

IND 33/1 (10 overs): Dar has been brought into the attack. Smriti looks to break the shackles as she shimmies down and goes big over long-on. However, there is way too much backspin on it as the ball sticks to the surface after dipping. Only a couple. SIX! She goes again and this time she has got the wind to assist her lofted drive over the ropes at long-off.

IND 24/1 (9 overs): There's some width on offer and Deepti has worked this towards backward point for two. The evident lack of footwork from Smriti is helping Pakistan tighten its grip. This is her slowest start in 50-over cricket.

IND 21/1 (8 overs): The dots continue to pile on. Smriti plays a loose stroke off Anam's left-arm spin but it dips just in front of Bismah. The India opener heaves a sigh of relief.

IND 17/1 (7 overs): Pakistan continues to use Diana in the PowerPlay to good effect. The pacer is getting the ball to nip into the left-hander from a wide release point. However, she switches to bowling over the wicket after three deliveries. It is a maiden nonetheless.

IND 17/1 (6 overs): Anam returns. There is a packed off-side field in place for the two left-handers in Deepti and Smriti. However, Smriti manages to rock back and get one to pierce through for a single.

IND 15/1 (5 overs): Mandhana's elegance is on full display as she gets Baig between midwicket and mid on for four. First boundary of the innings. 21 dots already in this innings so far. Baig does not want to concede and tightens her line and length, but concedes a no ball and a free hit. Smriti frees her arms and tries to pull and swirl it over the keeper's head but only two runs come off it. A single for Mandhana and a couple for Deepti finish the over.

IND 5/1 (4 overs): Anam continues at the other end. Just the one run off the over coming from a sweep through midwicket.

IND 4/1 (3 overs): Shafali Verma on strike after waiting for 12 balls. Baig at the other end. Shafali tries to drive that second delivery but the swing deceives and beats here. Would have been dangerous. She then sends one down to midwicket. Shafali wants the run, Smriti vehemently asks her to stay back. Baig is pitching it up and cutting off any space Shafali could have, enticing her to play.  She concedes a wide and follows it up with a beauty to dismiss Shafali who misses and sees her stumps messed up. The youngster's slump continues. OUTSHAFALI VERMA 0 (6) b Diana Baig

Knocked her over!  Shafali goes for a big mow over the leg side but misses and hears the stumps rattled. Diana's accuracy and early pressure with the succession of dots got to Shafali as she looked for a release shot. Pakistan are pumped and they should be.

My colleague Santadeep: How is the ball gripping like this in New Zealand in the first over?

IND 3/0 (2 overs):
Anam comes in at the other end with some left arm spin. She's getting some turn here early on. She's effortlessly getting some pace here to try and tempt Mandhana to connect and make a mistake. Maiden over though.

IND 3/0 (1 over): Cautious start for Mandhana and Baig here. Mandhana opens her account with a couple down backward point. Baig is keeping those lines tight and she sends one a little wide and Mandhana nearly gets an outside edge here. There's a slip in place for her. Careful there, Smriti. Sedate start this.

Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana are walking out to the middle. We start in a few minutes.  Shafali Verma is just 18 years old and she is featuring in her first ODI World Cup. Diana Baig, the veteran pacer, will start things off for Pakistan.

---------------------------------------------------------

6:15AM: The big question - Harman back at number 4?

Pitch report:
The pitch is the same surface used in the New Zealand vs West Indies game which saw a total of 520 runs. Clear conditions, a tad windy and a quick outfield. *Rubs hands in glee*

Playing XI

IND: Smriti, Shafali, Deepti, Harmanpreet, Mithali, Richa, Rana, Jhulan, Meghna, Vastrakar, Gayakwad

PAK: Javeria, S Amin, Bismah, Omaima, Dar, Aliya, Fatima, Sidra, Diana, Nashra, Anam

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It's a beautiful day at Mount Maunganui. India won the toss and chose to bat.


6AM: TOSS: India has won the toss and chosen to bat.

5:45 AM: Head to head 10:0 in India's favour? Can Pakistan rewrite that today at the Bay Oval?

 

5:30AM: Pakistan Men had never beaten India in the World T20s and we saw how Babar and Rizwan rewrote that stat last year. Pakistan Women have never beaten India in Women's ODIs. Can Bismah Maroof and Co. pull off something similar?

Check out the head to head and other stats between these nations in the format:



5:20 AM: If you're just checking out the ICC 2022 Women's World Cup, welcome! Check out our complete coverage of the tournament here. Meanwhile, it's safe to say it's been a cracking tournament so far and we're just three games down. Recap:

M#1:

M#2, M#3:

5:05 AM: PREVIEW:

The Indian women's cricket would hope that its bowlers find top form to complement a solid batting unit's efforts when it begins its quest for an elusive ICC World Cup trophy with the opening match against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday.

Runners up in the 2017 and 2005 editions, India is eager to go one step ahead and claim the title that has eluded it, especially skipper Mithali Raj and veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami, who will be playing their last World Cup.

Pakistan , on the other hand, is the lowest ranked team in the tournament. It qualified for the World Cup owing to its ranking after the qualifiers was cancelled midway last year due to COVID-19.

Having ended three times at the bottom, Pakistan's best-ever finish at the World Cup had come in 2009 when it reached the Super 6 stage. It will be hoping it can make the knockouts in this edition.

Bismah Maroof and Co. are also coming off back-to-back wins in the warm up matches. They beat New Zealand before getting the better of Bangladesh.

4:45 AM: Pakistan, yet to beat India in women's One-Day Internationals, will be looking for a revival of fortunes, even as the Women in Blue will be hoping to register their 11th straight victory over their opponent in the 50-over format. As we wait for the fixture to get going at the Bay Oval, we'll revisit a few of the best clashes between these two sides. Pardon the recency bias but among my favourites is the clash between these two teams in the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 in Derby.

This match was the last encounter between India and Pakistan, a contest India won by 95 runs.

Although India initially struggled against Nashra Sandhu's (10-1-26-4) left-arm spin, posting 169-9 in 50 overs, Pakistan found the going even more tough against Ekta Bisht, who registered a fifer (10-2-18-5).

Finishing with only 74 on the scoreboard, Pakistan lost yet another opportunity of bagging its first victory against India in the format. [ READ MORE HERE ]



4:30 AM: Hello everyone! The 12th edition of the Women's Cricket World Cup is finally underway in New Zealand. The tournament which was initially scheduled to be played in February - March 2021, was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India officially gets its campaign started today when it takes on Bismah Maroof's Pakistan. Watch this space for everything you need to know about this game.

Where to watch - Live Streaming details

The ICC Women's ODI World Cup will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar.

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