India defeated Pakistan by 88 runs in a women’s ODI at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, maintaining their unbeaten record in the format against their rivals. Despite the win, India’s performance was far from their best, riddled with technical and tactical errors. Bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi had expressed optimism, saying everyone was in a good space to bring their A-game, but India’s play was more around the “G or H” level, marred by mistakes and inconsistent batting.
Fatima Sana, after winning the toss, chose to bowl first on a pitch affected by rain. Pakistan aimed to restrict India under 250, successfully bowling them out for 247 — India’s first dismissal in this format after 12 matches. Sidra Amin’s 81 provided hope in Pakistan’s chase, but it was ultimately out of reach. Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged areas needing improvement, though she was pleased with the comfortable victory margin.
India struggled to build momentum, a challenge Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues attributed to difficult pitches, similar to conditions in Guwahati against Sri Lanka. All top eight batters passed 20, but none converted starts into big scores. Harleen Deol led with 46 off 65 balls, but frequent dot balls and slow scoring hampered progress. Smriti Mandhana’s form remained uncertain, and Pratika Rawal’s initial explosive start faded. Jemimah Rodrigues provided some impetus despite early luck, while Deepti Sharma contributed valuable runs under pressure.
Richa Ghosh’s unbeaten 35 off 20 balls was the most fluent innings, highlighted by a stunning six. India posted 247, and with Pakistan never having crossed 192 in 11 recent ODIs against India, the hosts were favorites. Yet India’s careless batting and poor fielding — including missed catches by Ghosh and ineffective use of reviews — raised concerns.
Kranti Goud and Renuka Singh Thakur impressed with disciplined bowling, with Goud taking 3/20 and breaking key partnerships. Goud’s performance was a standout, earning player of the match honors and pride from her village, where locals watched her play on an LED screen. Ultimately, Pakistan’s chase faltered early, securing India’s win but highlighting areas to improve going forward.
