Pakistan paid a heavy price for a costly over-rate penalty as India unleashed a late batting onslaught, hammering 38 runs in the final two overs to post a formidable 170/6 in their ICC Women's T20 World Cup Group 1 clash on Sunday.
Having maintained control for much of the innings, Pakistan found themselves under pressure when they failed to complete their overs within the allotted time. The penalty forced them to keep an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle during the closing stages, allowing India's batters to exploit the gaps with devastating effect.
Richa Ghosh Show in Birmingham
Pakistan's hopes of restricting India to a manageable total took a major hit in the penultimate over as Richa Ghosh launched a brutal assault on Tasmia Rubab. Deepti Sharma set the tone with a boundary off the first ball, ending a lengthy wait for a four.
Richa then took charge, carving a stunning boundary through cover before muscling a towering six over long-on. The wicketkeeper-batter wasn't done yet, slicing another four behind point and finishing the over with a fierce pull through midwicket. India plundered 23 runs from the over, shifting momentum dramatically in their favour.
Pakistan were already under pressure and facing the repercussions of an over-rate penalty, so captain Fatima Sana was handed the final over. Richa continued the assault, sweeping a full toss fine for four, but Fatima struck back, bowling the dangerous batter for a sparkling 34 off 17 balls. But the breakthrough was too late.
India eked out crucial runs off the remaining deliveries including a single off the last ball amid a vociferous LBW appeal against Shreyanka Patil. The decision stood and India finished their innings on 170/6, scoring 38 runs in the last two overs to gain complete control over the match.
India's total of 170/6 against Pakistan in Birmingham is now the third-highest score by India Women in Women's T20 World Cup history. Only their 194/5 against New Zealand and 172/3 against Sri Lanka rank higher. The innings also surpassed India's previous World Cup scores of 167/8 against Australia in both Providence (2018) and Cape Town (2023).
A blistering finish, which saw India hammer 38 runs in the final two overs, powered them to the landmark total and highlighted one of the most explosive death-over performances in the team's T20 World Cup history.
