Colombo: India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her delight after the team secured their second consecutive win at the Women’s World Cup in Colombo on Sunday. She described the emphatic 88-run triumph over arch-rivals Pakistan as “an important game for all of us,” noting it came with its share of challenges.
Once again, India’s lower order proved crucial. Richa Ghosh’s explosive 35* off just 20 balls powered India to a competitive 247, rescuing the side from a precarious 203/7. Earlier, Pratika Rawal (31), Harleen Deol (46), and Jemimah Rodrigues (32) had steadied the innings, keeping the scoreboard ticking.
Kranti Gaud, the 22-year-old Indian pacer, was named Player of the Match for her outstanding 3/20, which included the early wickets of Sadaf Shamas and Aliya Riyaz within the first ten overs. Her fiery opening spell immediately put Pakistan on the back foot.
“To be honest, it wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on. Our plan was to bat longer and see how many runs we could get. When we played here in the tri-series [in May], the pitches were different. But with the rain over the last two days, there was more grip on the surface. The key was to preserve wickets and execute well,” Harmanpreet said in the post-match presentation.
While Richa starred with the bat, her performance behind the stumps was less impressive. She dropped four catches and made a couple of DRS errors, adding to previous lapses during the ODI series against Australia, where she had spilled three chances. Coupled with a few misfields that conceded boundaries, India’s fielding effort was far from flawless.
Harmanpreet highlighted this as a key area for improvement ahead of matches against South Africa and Australia on Thursday and Sunday. “We let ourselves down on the field, dropping many chances. But in the end, a win feels great. There’s plenty to work on, but for now, I’m happy with the result. We aim to carry this momentum forward. Back in India, we know the conditions better, and we’ll keep refining our combinations and improving day by day,” she said.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana reflected on her team’s performance, acknowledging costly overs at both the start and end of India’s innings. Pakistan’s batters struggled, scoring just 25 runs in the powerplay and eventually being bowled out for 159 in 43 overs. Despite the defeat, Fatima remains optimistic.
“In the powerplay, we gave away too many runs, and in the death overs, we lost a few more. While bowling, I felt the pitch offered some seam, but restricting them to under 200 could have made a difference. I believe our top-five batters have the talent; they need to step up and build longer partnerships. Understanding the conditions and adapting will be key for our next matches,” she said.
