T20 World Cup, IND vs PAK as it happened: Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrgiues take India past finish line

That will be all for the blog. Thanks for tuning in, India next play West Indies on Wednesday.

TOSS: Pakistan opt to bat first.

First innings: PAK 149/4 with Ayesha Naseem* 43 (25 balls) Bismah Maroof* 68 (55 balls)

Second innings: IND 151/3 (19 overs) with Jemimah Rodrigues* 53 (38 balls) and Richa Ghosh* 31 (20 balls)

— Summary

STAT: India’s third best effort in successful chases in women’s T20Is and the best at the World Cup.

Jemimah Rodrigues is player of the match: And to be fair, she has been backed this time around despite struggling for form. And nice to see her acknowledge that at the end. And dedicates it to her parents who’s support she has spoken about aplenty in recent times.

India win by 7 wickets: Jemimah Rodrigues finishes the match in style with consecutive fours to bring up her half-century too. Richa Ghosh with a superb knock as well.

India 136/3 (18 overs): And the pressure releases! Terrific from Ghosh, not so good from Aiman. Two balls outside the offstump with no protection. And the third, a superb drive.

India 122/3 (17 overs): And there is a much-needed big over. Richa Ghosh with a lofted square cut and then Rodrigues gets a bit lucky with a misfield at mid wicket. Dar with an expensive over.

India 109/3 (16 overs): RICHA GHOSH SURVIVES. Given out LBW but she reviews it immediately, there is a glove. But that is another over that went nowhere after an early four.

Oh, just realised Nashra’s quota is done. 4-0-15-2, terrific bowling.

India need 47 from 30 balls.

India 103/3 (15 overs): Nice shot over short-fine for four by Rodrigues but that is another over where Pakistan bounced back after conceding a four early. India haven’t quite had big overs.

India need 55 from 36 balls. This is getting tricky real fast.

WICKET! 13.3: Harmanpreet Kaur 16(12) ct Bismah Maroof b Nashra Sundhu HUGE MOMENT, potentially. Harman loves the sweep but missed the timing big time here, going against the spin. Nashra is bowling a match-defining spell here India 93/3

India 92/2 (13 overs): Nice shot by Rodrigues to start Dar’s over with a four but the spinner comes back well to limit the damage. India going at just under par at the moment, 58 off 42 needed.

India 85/2 (12 overs): Nashra has bowled really well here, but India will be happy to pick up 7 in that over.

India 78/2 (11 overs): Harmanpreet Kaur with two fours in the Fatima Sana over. Much needed for India, she has looked in good touch so far in South Africa and the captain is going to be crucial

India 67/2 (10 overs): Nice stretch from Rodrigues! Looked like she was stumped there but superb recovery after being beaten by turn. Terrific over from Nashra too. India are under pressure here

Over 9.1: Shafali Verma c Sidra Ameen b Nashra Sandhu 33 (25 balls) What a catch! Looked like the ball was heading straight down for a six but Shafali got more height than distance. Amin does a superb balancing act with her feet. India 65/2.

India 65/1 (9 overs): Nice late cut by Rodrigues for four, a shot she plays so well. A good over for India as Aiman concedes 9.

India 56/1 (8 overs): Nashra bowls a tidy first over.

India 53/1 (7 overs): Did they just bowl a 7-ball over? An extra ball seems to have been given to India and Jemimah hits a four over point. That is not good officiating if they missed that.

India 49/1 (7 overs): Shafali and Jemimah rotate strike to make it a decent over off Nida Dar.

India 43/1 (6 overs): Shafali Verma with a four at the start and end of that over, driving well through the line. Decent powerplay for India but they need to keep the scoring rate steady. Shafali so crucial here.

WICKET! 5.3: Yastika Bhatia 17(20) ct Fatima Sana b Sadia Iqbal After that four early on that promised a good innings, Bhatia struggled to find gaps. And now she lofts one straight to the fielder at cover. India 38/1

India 33/0 (5 overs): Shafali with a four through midwicket, perhaps the first confident shot she has hit today. More dot balls in that over though, rotation of strike not great.

Nida Dar time.

India 27/0 (4 overs): Shafali survives. Given out LBW but the ball seemed to be heading down leg on the angle and DRS confirms just that. She then gets a streaky four off the outside edge. She hasn’t settled down here yet.

India 21/0 (3 overs): There’s another four for Yastika, nicely guiding one behind fine leg. India off to a decent start. Perhaps a bit surprising to see Fatima Sana off the attack? Aiman Anwer bowled that over.

India 11/0 (2 overs): Tidy over of left-arm spin from Sadia Iqbal. Shafali misses out on a boundary chance with a cut off the last ball

India 8/0 (1 over): Terrific pull shot from Yastika Bhatia to get going with a four. Good bounce in that over for Fatima Sana though.

Pakistan 149/4 (20 overs): More poor fielding in the final over as Naseem fires it over long off, with help from Harleen Deol. Dropped catch, goes for six. Pakistan score their highest ICC Women’s T20 World Cup score.

Three overs in the powerplay and the 20th over for Deepti Sharma in this innings.

Pakistan 136/4 (19 overs): A potentially costly dropped catch by Radha Yadav. Ayesha Naseem can make India in the last over. Mistimed a lofted shot, was put down at long off. A boundary for Maroof also in that over.

Fielding penalty for India due to over-rate. Only three fielders allowed outside the circle for the last two overs.

HALF CENTURY: Bismah Maroof with a captain’s knock. Has been busy from the word go. It’s one of her quickest knocks in World Cups too (second best as of now). Gets to the landmark with a guide past keeper (hit her thumb though, needed treatment). She is on 54 off 48 balls. Pakistan 126/4.

Pakistan 116/4 (17 overs): A boundary-less over from Gayakwad as Sana Mir wonders why Harmanpreet went to the pace of Thakur when Naseem’s strength is that.

Pakistan 109/4 (16 overs): A long, expensive over from Renuka. Three wides but all due to the pressure built early by Naseem. A six over long off and a four straight down the ground and the Indian pacer lost her line after that.

Pakistan 91/4 (15 overs): A terrific save by Yastika to prevent a four but next ball, Harleen misfields a simple ball to concede an extra run. Decent over by Radha and she finishes with 4-0-21-2. Naseem has certainly pushed things moving.

delightful shot down the ground for four by Naseem. It pushes the fielders back from mid on and mid off. Good fielding by Shafali at long on at the end of that over.

Pakistan 74/4 (13 overs): A wicket and 6 runs in that Radha over.

Ayesha Naseem in. Expect some fireworks.

WICKET! 12.1: Sidra Ameen 11(18) ct Richa Ghosh b Radha Yadav An attempted reverse sweep, Far too early into the shot. The ball hits the glove then the back of the bat and loops to Richa for an easy catch Pakistan 68/4

Pakistan 68/3 (12 overs): Another decent over for Pakistan, there is a definite change in gear and a longish wait for a boundary is over too as Maroof sweeps well again

Pakistan 61/3 (11 overs): A good over from Shafali but not great fielding from Harleen Deol at long on, to allow a single to be converted to double.

Shafali Verma gets a bowl.

Pakistan 58/3 (10 overs): Half-way point. India have pulled things well after the powerplay. Slightly expensive over from Vastrkar there but they will be happy with where things are.

Pakistan 50/3 (9 overs): Four singles from the Radha over as Pakistan reach 50. Sana Mir on comms is surprised not to see Aliya Riaz or Ayesha Naseem to go big.

Pakistan 46/3 (8 overs): That was a big wicket for India as Dar can take the game away if she gets going.

WICKET! 7.3: Nida Dar 0(2) ct Richa Ghosh b Pooja Vastrakar Terrific start from Pooja. Bouncer to Dar, India had a confident appeal. Reviewed. And there is a spike! Pakistan 43/3

Pooja Vastrakar into the attack. Nida Dar is the new batter. Crucial partnership this.

WICKET! 6.5: Muneeba Ali 12(14) st Richa Ghosh b Radha Yadav Good work from India’s left-arm spinner. Darted one in fast and Ghosh makes no mistake Pakistan 42/2

Pakistan 39/1 (6 overs): And now Muneeba’s turn to put the sweep to good effect. Lovely lofted hit for four and Pakistan will be reasonably happy with that powerplay after the early wicket. Intent has been good. And another overthrow in that over, needless from Yastika Bhatia

Deepti will bowl a third over in the powerplay, with two LHBS in the middle.

Pakistan 31/1 (5 overs): Another superb sweep shot from Maroof. She is trusting the bounce on the wicket and going after the straight length balls.

Gayakwad into the attack.

Pakistan 24/1 (4 overs): Two terrific shots for four from Maroof in that Deepti over, first lofted down the ground and then a well-timed sweep.

STAT: Deepti Sharma now needs three wickets to become the first Indian bowler to take 100 women’s-T20Is wickets.

Pakistan 14/1 (3 overs): Thakur with another tidy over. Should have been just two runs, but an overthrow at the end of the over gifts Pakistan a single.

Bismah Maroof is the new batter in. Harmanpreet Kaur goes from first slip to short fine leg and the ball follows her just there. Deepti Sharma with a mandatory early wicket.

WICKET! 1.4: Javeria Wadood 8(6) ct Harmanpreet Kaur b Deepti Sharma A reverse sweep for four later, the conventional sweep ends the stay for Pakistan’s RHB opener. Pakistan 10/1

Deepti Sharma from the other end.

Pakistan 3/0 (1 over): There is a hint of movement off the pitch in the opening over. One ball down the leg side to Javeria from Renuka, helped for a couple but otherwise a tidy start by the Indian.

Here we go, Muneeba on strike. Javeria at the other end. Can India strike early?

National anthems done, India’s huddle done. Renuka Singh Thakur has the ball in hand, she could enjoy this Newlands pitch early on.

Harmanpreet Kaur at the toss (Via BCCI): “We wanted to bat because these wickets are a bit tricky. Smriti will be fine but we have added an extra batter for today, Harleen comes in and Shikha Pandey misses out. I think these wickets will help us, we are a very good bowling side. Our bowlers performed well in the tri-series before as well.”

Team news: Couple of interesting choices, no Devika Vaidya and Shikha Pandey. No shortage of bowling options but a little surprised.

India XI: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh

Pakistan XI: Bismah Maroof (c), Javeria Wadood, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nida Dar, Ayesha Naseem, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Sidra Ameen, Aiman Anwer, Nashra Sundhu

TOSS: Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bat first.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup where India begin their campaign with a contest against Pakistan.

After all the waiting and build-up, it is action time for the Indian team in South Africa and the venue is the iconic Newlands, Cape Town. India have been in South Africa for a few weeks now, and after their tri-series tune-up, they come into this match as favourites. But Pakistan won their last meeting in Asia Cup, end of last year.

Head-to-head:

• This is the seventh meeting in ICC Women’s T20 World Cups. India lead the historical head-to-head battle winning on four previous occasions. Their last encounter in the mega-event was in 2018 at Guyana where India triumphed by seven wickets.
• India have good form behind them following a decent showing in the recently concluded tri-nation series against South Africa and West Indies where they lost in the final. They have won four of the last five women’s T20Is against Pakistan and will be eager to start off their campaign with a victory.
• Pakistan, on the contrary, have won just one of their last six matches in the format. They have the second-lowest win percentage in ICC Women’s T20 World Cups for teams who played at least 15 matches in the tournament (25.9%). However, they will be encouraged by the fact that they tasted victory in their previous meeting against this Indian side in the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup.
  

Screenshots in the blog courtesy: Disney+Hotstar and ICC match center