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Cricket World Cup 2025: India Women Secure Commanding Win Over Pakistan in Tense ind-vs-pak-women Encounter By BBC Sport Staff in Colombo India Women secured a decisive 88-run victory over Pakistan Women in a high-stakes group-stage match at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 on Sunday. Played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, the fixture maintained its status as the tournament’s most intense rivalry, marked by contentious moments both on and off the pitch. The result not only propelled India to the top of the points table but also extended their formidable winning streak against their rivals to twelve consecutive victories in the One-Day International format. The match, which featured periods of grinding cricket punctuated by drama, saw India post a challenging total of 247 all out in their 50 overs on a sluggish surface that offered assistance to the spinners. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, crucial anchors by Harleen Deol and a late-order blitz from Richa Ghosh provided the impetus required. Pakistan’s chase never gained sufficient momentum, eventually folding for 159 runs in the 43rd over, unable to counter the disciplined and varied Indian bowling attack led by the Player of the Match, fast-medium bowler Kranti Goud. India Overcomes Slow Pitch and Late Scramble Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to field, a decision influenced by heavy rainfall in Colombo leading up to the fixture, which left the pitch damp and slow. India’s innings, however, defied the early advantage gained by the Pakistani bowlers, particularly the excellent four-wicket haul by seamer Diana Baig, who finished with figures of 4 for 69. India’s top order struggled to convert strong starts into big scores. Opener Smriti Mandhana scored 23, and Pratika Rawal contributed a brisk 31, but the foundation was consolidated by Harleen Deol, whose measured 46 off 65 balls anchored the middle period.
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Deol’s patience was vital in navigating a tricky phase after captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s dismissal for 19. The innings gained critical acceleration in the final overs, largely thanks to Richa Ghosh, who hammered an unbeaten 35 off just 20 deliveries, ensuring India reached a highly competitive score of 247. Reflecting on the challenges of batting first, Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues highlighted the difficulty of adapting to the conditions. "You had to concentrate a lot more because the ball was holding up, but Richa’s innings was massive," Rodrigues stated at the innings break, acknowledging the value of the late runs. Goud’s Opening Burst Seals Pakistan’s Fate Chasing 248, Pakistan suffered an immediate setback in the fourth over with the contentious run-out of opener Muneeba Ali, a decision that proved pivotal and drew visible frustration from the Pakistani camp. The controversy involved a review of an LBW appeal, during which Muneeba’s bat was found to be airborne outside the crease as the stumps were broken by a sharp throw from Deepti Sharma. This early drama set the stage for Kranti Goud’s destructive spell. Exploiting the pace and bounce of the pitch, Goud claimed three key wickets, tearing through the top order and leaving Pakistan reeling at 26 for 3. She later returned to break a crucial partnership, finishing with an economical 3 for 20 from her 10 overs. Spinners Deepti Sharma (3/45) and Sneh Rana (2/38) maintained the pressure through the middle overs, ensuring Pakistan never recovered. The only significant resistance came from opener Sidra Amin, who played a commendable innings of 81 off 106 balls—the highest individual ODI score by a Pakistani woman against India.
Despite building a brief, rebuilding partnership with Natalia Pervaiz (33), Amin lacked support from the lower order as India’s superior bowling depth proved insurmountable. A Rivalry Defined by Tension and Dominance The match was notable for the simmering tension that permeated the atmosphere, reflecting the wider political climate between the two nations. The customary pre-match handshake between captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana was conspicuously absent at the toss, a precedent set in recent encounters between the men’s teams. Furthermore, play was briefly halted during the Indian innings due to an unusual intervention from a large swarm of flies that invaded the pitch, requiring ground staff to fumigate the area. This fixture, often described as the biggest rivalry in international cricket, continues to highlight a significant competitive gap in the women’s 50-over format. India’s 12-0 head-to-head record in ODIs underscores their consistent command over the fixture since 2005. A prominent cricket analyst, speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity, suggested the dominant trend reflects structural differences: "While the passion and intensity from Pakistan are undeniable, India’s superior depth of talent and consistency in their domestic structure, particularly in fast bowling and varied spin, continues to translate into match results on the global stage. For Pakistan to truly compete, they need multiple batters contributing large scores, not just a lone hand like Sidra Amin’s outstanding knock. " Looking Ahead in the World Cup For India, the 88-run victory provides a vital boost to their net run rate and secures their second win of the tournament, positioning them strongly for a semi-final berth. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur was pleased with the overall effort, stating: “Very happy, very important game for all of us. Our bowling was great, Kranti was outstanding.
We know there are a lot of areas we can improve, but for now, we want to go with this momentum. ” Pakistan, conversely, now faces a challenging path. Having lost both their opening matches, they must secure wins in their remaining group stage games to keep their hopes of progression alive. Captain Fatima Sana acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly from the batting unit. “I think we gave away too many runs in the powerplay, and we lost some extra runs in the depth overs as well. Our top five pure batters need to step up. We need long partnerships to assess the conditions and adapt. ” The teams now look towards their next fixtures, with India heading back to play the remainder of their group matches at home, while Pakistan seeks to bounce back against tougher opposition in the coming week. The intense, yet one-sided, nature of the ind-vs-pak-women rivalry remains a compelling narrative in the world of cricket. For more on the rivalry and the dominant performance, you can watch highlights of the match. India make it 12-0 vs Pakistan shows the post-match summary of India's continued success over Pakistan in the Women's World Cup.
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