India overcame a case of butterfingers to register a dominant seven-wicket win against Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday. After some fine batting from Pakistan’s middle order took them to 133/7, India’s top order knocked those runs off in the 19th over.

India’s chase was made easier by 10 penalty runs awarded to them at the start of their innings. Those runs undid some record-breaking batting from Pakistan, who scored their highest T20I total against India, their previous best effort being 104.

India chose to field first after winning the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur swayed by some moisture on the pitch. The decision looked like a sound one as good bowling and some sharp fielding reduced Pakistan to 30/2 after six overs, the openers falling to a smart catch at slip and a direct hit run out.

But India’s fielding disintegrated after that, as they dropped four straightforward catches over the course of the innings, allowing Pakistan to build momentum. Nida Dar prospered from two of those chances (dropped on 15 and 29) and Bismah Mahroof from one (dropped on 28), and both combined for a fourth wicket partnership of 94 off 71 balls.

But Raj, freshly returned to the top of the order, scored a silken 56 (47b, 7x4) to put the game beyond the women in green and helped India put the disappointing defeat in the 2016 edition behind them. Mithali dominated in a 73-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana (26, 28b, 4x4) before Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy took India home with six balls to spare.

Here are the statistical highlights from India’s seven-wicket win:

  • India’s 137/3 in the second innings is now their highest ever score batting second in a Women’s World T20 encounter. It’s their joint-fourth highest successful run-chase in T20Is overall.
  • Alongside New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, Mithali Raj now has the most T20I 50-plus scores in 2018. This was the Indian veteran’s sixth such effort this year.
  • This was Raj’s fourth 50-plus score in a World T20 match, taking her to the top of the list among Indians. Poonam Raut has scored three in her career. It places her joint fifth among all teams alongside Deandra Dottin.
  • Raj’s 56 was also her fifth half century in a successful run-chase. Only Stefanie Taylor (WI, 8) and Sarah Taylor (England, 9) have scored more.

  • During the course of her innings, Mithali Raj became the third batter to score more than 500 T20I runs in 2018. Kaur (583), Bates (576) are the other two.
  • Raj also climbed up to sixth in the list of runs scored in a successful run-chase (666 and counting), going past West Indies’ Deandra Dottin.
  • Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj are now the most prolific pairing for India in T20Is.

Most prolific pairs for India

Partners Inns Runs
Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj 34 874 (2 100s, 4 50s)
Harmanpreet Kaur, Mithali Raj 34 844 (1 100s, 3 50s)
Mithali Raj, Poonam Raut 16 721 (1 100s, 4 50s)
Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy 26 571 (2 50s)
Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana 9 361 (4 50s)
Courtesy: ESPNcricinfo

  • 133/7 was Pakistan’s highest ever score in a T20I against India. This was also their highest in a World T20 match going past their previous best of 122.

  • Nida Dar and Bismah Mahroof both scored their personal bests in T20Is while also scoring Pakistan’s first and second T20I half centuries against India.
  • Dar and Mahroof combined for a fourth-wicket partnership of 94 off 71 balls. It was Pakistan’s best partnership against India in T20Is.
  • Dar also produced an all-round performance.

  • This was India’s 8th win against Pakistan in their 11th T20I encounter.
  • And finally, here’s a quirky stat about India’s men’s and women’s team winning a T20I on the same day.

(With ICC inputs)