Report: Ind vs Pak, Women’s T20 Asia Cup
First Published : 28 Oct 2012, 20:09
Last Modified : 28 Oct 2012, 20:09
Guangzhou, Oct 28: Indian Women beat Pakistan by eight wickets in their last Group A game to seal a semi-finals berth in the ongoing Asian Cricket Council Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup. They will now take on Sri Lanka on October 30.
Chasing 94 runs, Sulakshana Naik and Anuja Patil got India off to a good start with a 44-run opening stand at the Guanggong International Cricket Stadium. Naik was the first to depart, trapped lbw by Mariam Hasan, for 23. The pacer then followed up with the wicket of Patil in her next over. However, skipper Mithali Raj, who replaced Naik at the crease, led India to a comfortable victory with an unbroken 41-run stand with Harmanpreet Kaur. Raj remained unbeaten on 36 while Kaur was not out on 12 as India reached the target with nine balls to spare.
Earlier, opting to bat first, Pakistan were bowled out for 93 with three balls still left in the innings. Opener Bismah Maroof was the first to return to the pavilion, run-out for 11 with 17 runs on the board. 19 runs later, N Niranjana claimed Pakistan skipper Sana Mir for 17. Nain Abidi who then joined Marina Iqbal at the crease helped add 37 runs for the third wicket, before being sent back Ekta Bisht. In the next over Iqbal was run-out for 22 leaving Pakistan on 76 for four in the 16th over. After the departure of Iqbal, the rest of the line-up succumbed without putting up any resistance. They lost the next six wickets for just 17 runs.
Archana Das and Reema Malhotra claimed two wickets each, while Bisht and Niranjana picked one apiece.
Man-of-the-Match: Mithali Raj for her match-winning 36-run knock
Brief scores: Pakistan 93 all out in 19.3 overs (Marina Iqbal 22, Nain Abidi 21, A Das 2/12, R Malhotra 2/13) lost to India 94/2 in 18.3 overs (M Raj 36*, S Naik 23, M Hasan 2/15) by 8 wickets
