NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan players mingled in the changing rooms after the match between the arch-rivals at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Cape Town, which India won by 7 wickets.
Players from both teams posed for a big group photo, while India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan all-rounder Nida Dar were all smiles as they exchanged jerseys.
India will have the opportunity to make it two wins in a row at the competition when they face the West Indies at the same venue on Wednesday.
Pakistan will also be in action at the same venue on the same day, looking to get their T20 World Cup campaign back on track against Ireland.
In a face-off highlighted by youth power on either side and the experience of Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof, India chased down a highly competitive target of 150 with six balls to spare on Sunday.
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T20 World Cup: Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh lead India to win over Pakistan
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<p>Jemimah Rodrigues and teenager Richa Ghosh took India to a seven-wicket win over Pakistan in their Women’s T20 World Cup match in Cape Town on Sunday.<br /></p>
<p>India chased down a 150-run target to record the highest successful chase and second of all time in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup.<br /></p>
<p>What had been a tense run chase turned into a comfortable win with an over to spare as Rodrigues and Ghosh put on an unbeaten 58 off 33 balls.<br /></p>
<p>Rodrigues batted with calm skill to make 53 not out off 38 balls while Ghosh, 19, hit powerfully to score 31 not out off 20 balls.<br /></p>
<p>Pakistan posted 149 for four after deciding to bat on a dry pitch. It was a total which looked unlikely when they were labouring at 68 for four in the 13th over.<br /></p>
<p>But captain Bismah Maroof (68 not out) and Ayesha Naseem (43 not out) transformed the innings in an unbeaten partnership of 81 off 47 balls.<br /></p>
<p>The left-handed Bismah Maroof faced 55 balls and hit seven fours while the 18-year-old Naseem hammered her runs off 25 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes.<br /></p>
<p>Naseem almost immediately went on the attack with some powerful hitting, including a six beyond long-off in an over from the medium-paced Renuka Singh which cost 18 runs.<br /></p>
<p>The Indian innings followed a similar pattern with Pakistan left-arm spinner Nashra Sadhu bowling superbly to take two for 15 in her four overs.<br /></p>
<p>Sadhu dismissed Shafali Verma, who was superbly caught on the boundary by Sidra Ameen, and Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, leaving India needing to score at almost 10 runs an over in the last six overs.<br /></p>
<p>Three boundaries by Ghosh off successive balls from Aiman Anwer in the 18th over effectively settled the match.<br /></p>
While Player of the Match Jemimah Rodrigues anchored the chase with her unconquered 38-ball-53 (8×4), the U-19 World Cup-winning team duo of Shafali Verma (33; 25b; 4×4) and Richa Ghosh (31 n. o; 20b; 5×4) played key roles.
Although there were a few hiccups and the run rate touched 10 an over at one stage, India were always in the chase, especially with wickets in hand. Pakistan were undone by some below-average fielding and lack of bowling options in the death overs.
Yastika Bhatia (17) and Shafali got India off to a good start but the team was pegged back by left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu (2/15). With skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (16) back in the dugout in the 14th over, Jemimah shouldered the responsibility of seeing the team through some innovative hitting.
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