"Rigged positive NRR by their timid mindset" - Fans react as India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets in 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup
A clinical all-around performance helped India beat Pakistan by six wickets in the Women’s T20 World Cup match in Dubai on Sunday, October 6. With the victory, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side also returned to winning ways after losing their opening game against New Zealand by 58 runs.
Batting first, Pakistan posted 105/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Nida Dar top scored with 28 runs off 34 balls, while Muneeba Ali, Syeda Aroob Shah, and skipper Fatima Sana also chipped in with 17 (26), 14* (17), and 13 (8), respectively.
Arundhati Reddy starred with the ball for the Women in Blue, picking up three wickets, while Shreyanka Patil bagged two wickets. Renuka Singh, Deepti Sharma and Asha Sobhana shared one each.
In response, Team India achieved the target with seven balls to spare. Shafali Verma top scored with 32 off 35, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues chipped in with 29* (24) and 23 (28), respectively. Captain Fatima Sana starred with the ball for the Women in Green, scalping two wickets, while Sadia Iqbal and Omaima Sohail picked up one wicket each.
Fans on X, however, were unhappy with India's approach during their chase against Pakistan as they continued with a negative net run rate (NRR) despite their victory. One user wrote:
"India won the match but rigged Positive NRR by their timid mindset."
Another user wrote:
"Given how badly you lost the opening game, you should be aware that, in order to have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup, this match must end in 10 overs. However, it seems like we are watching test cricket as everyone is playing tuk tuk."
A third user added:
"Team India Won the match against Pakistan. But they surely Missed the opportunity to improve their NRR. They were chasing 106 but manage to chase it in the 19th Over."
Here are a few more reactions:
"Me and Shafali weren't able to time it well" - Smriti Mandhana reacts to India's approach against Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said that she and her opening partner Shafali Verma were unable to time the ball, which affected their net run rate. She said in her post-match comments (via Cricbuzz):
"(On net run rate) We were thinking about it but me and Shafali weren't able to time it well. So we didn't want to get to a place where we were chasing the game, but NRR is surely in our heads. This game will give us some momentum and hopefully, we can keep going in this tournament."
India will next play against Sri Lanka at the same venue on Wednesday (October 9).
Follow the IND vs PAK Women's T20 World Cup match live score and updates here.