Snehasis Mukherjee in Dubai
Team India secured their first win of the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup by defeating Pakistan by six wickets at the Dubai International Stadium. However, despite the victory, many fans raised concerns about how the match, particularly the chase, was handled. Here are the top five talking points from the game:
Superb performance from the Bowling Unit
India’s bowlers found their rhythm against Pakistan. After managing to take only four wickets in their first game against New Zealand, this was a strong comeback that pleased everyone, particularly the pacers’ performance during the Powerplay overs.
Arundhati Reddy was named Player of the Match for her three-wicket haul, while spinners like Asha Sobhana, Deepti Sharma and Shreyanka Patil combined to take four wickets. Heading into the clashes against Sri Lanka and Australia, the bowlers will be more confident and eager to deliver even better performances.
Fielding woes continue
Fielding has been the most talked-about issue for India in their World Cup campaign so far. Against New Zealand, Richa Ghosh dropped a sitter, and against Pakistan, Asha dropped two absolute dollies, leaving fans frustrated. Although Asha is known for her weak fielding, the dropped catches were unacceptable and could have had a significant impact on the result. Fortunately for India, it did not.
At the pre-match press conference, India’s bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi mentioned that the team was going through a process and that improvements have been seen in recent games.
While wicketkeeper Richa did take a stunning catch, concerns over India’s fielding remain. It is not just the catching; the ground fielding and overall effort were also lacking. Pakistan’s fielders were seen throwing themselves to save even a single run, whereas India’s fielders appeared to lack the same intensity and effort throughout the game.
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Lack of intensity from batters
After suffering a heavy defeat against New Zealand, India needed a convincing win to boost their net run rate (NRR), which could be a decisive factor in securing a place in the semi-finals. However, the way they chased down 106 runs in 18.5 overs left many fans disappointed.
The pitch was slow and the ball was not coming onto the bat. All the batters struggled with timing, and the outfield was slow as well. Still, India should have chased the target with five-six overs to spare to significantly improve their net run rate.
There was a lack of intent, as the batters seemed more focused on taking the game deep. Their first boundary did not come until the eighth over, and they scored fewer runs (25/1) in the Powerplay compared to Pakistan (29/2). This slow start put pressure on the middle-order, forcing them to play cautiously to avoid losing further wickets.
Harmanpreet Kaur at No. 4
The stage was set for skipper Harmanpreet Kaur to lead from the front and anchor the chase. Instead, Jemimah Rodrigues came in at No. 3. After struggling in the two warm-up games and the New Zealand match, fans were eager to see a crucial contribution from Harmanpreet at such an important batting position.
Although she came in at No. 4 and played a decisive knock of 29 off 24 balls, ensuring India’s victory before retiring hurt due to a neck injury, it still felt like a missed opportunity. In that knock, she managed just a single boundary and focused on rotating the strike rather than going for big hits that could have helped improve the net run rate. As a senior batter and the team’s leader, it was the perfect moment for her to take charge and guide the team from the front.
Arundhati Reddy’s comments at post-match presser
First, after the loss against the White Ferns, neither captain Harmanpreet Kaur nor coach Amol Mazumdar addressed the media. Instead, Jemimah Rodrigues was sent to do the duty. Before the Pakistan match, it was the bowling coach who handled the pre-match press conference.
Now, after the victory, Player of the Match Arundhati Reddy faced the media. However, her response to a question about the NRR caught the attention of fans. She said: “We know the NRR is important. We will try to improve it in the next two games. The wicket was slow.”
While she acknowledged the need to boost the run rate, her comments raised eyebrows. Where was that intent from the first ball? Even on a slow pitch, taking the chase into the 19th over should not have happened. Fans were left surprised by her comment, given the lack of urgency in their approach.
Things became even more confusing for fans after hearing Smriti Mandhana’s post-match comment. She said: “We did think about the NRR. Shafali and I couldn’t time the ball, and we didn’t want to lose too many wickets. So we were a bit calculative.”
How much improvement can be seen in two days remains to be seen. However, to overcome the Asian Champions and defending World Cup winners, a significant upgrade in intensity and performance across all three departments is the need of the hour for the Indian team.