Ten overs, two maidens, 18 runs conceded, two wickets taken.
If you want to rub your eyes again and take another look, that’s ok, we’ll wait. Because Ekta Bisht was bowling on another planet on Sunday in Derby. Against arch-rivals Pakistan, India were in all sorts of trouble as they were restricted to a below-par 169/9 after opting to bat first.
But Pakistan’s hopes were swiftly banished when the left-arm spinner Bisht came on in only the second over of the chase and had Ayesha Zafar out first ball. What followed was a procession of identical leg-before-wicket calls as the 31-year-old from Uttarakhand had Pakistan flummoxed to finish with figures of 5/18 and take India to an incredible 95-run win. Those are the best figures by an Indian bowler at the Women’s World Cup, but only Bisht’s second-best figures: her best is 5/8 against the same opposition in Colombo in February this year.
Twitter couldn’t help but give Bisht a standing ovation:
Some, though, were in the mood for a few jokes, gently ribbing Jasprit Bumrah and Neil Nitin Mukesh for some reason.
But to sum up, this was a performance for India to be proud of. A day when their bowlers came under pressure and showed up when most required:
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