That’s it from us tonight as India continue their winning run in West Indies (two warm-up wins, two World T20 wins).
Next up, will be Australia vs Ireland at the same stadium in Guyana.
India’s next match will be against Ireland, the qualifiers who are making their World T20 debut, on Thursday, 15 November.
Pakistan captain Javeria Khan on the controversial run penalty that cost her team 12 runs: The umpires told me that after warning the players three times, they gave the penalties. It’s unprofessionalism on our part because we were warned. This not happened the first time. It’s happened in the Sri Lanka series as well.
Some number-crunching
Player of the match, to no one’s surprise, is Mithali Raj for her superb 47-ball 56.
In a funny moment, presenter Mel Jones quotes Rumi to her, the author Mithali was reading when her bookworm moment went viral at the World Cup last year. But Raj didn’t remember it! Can we blame her, she just finished a game-changing knock!
Asked about her preferred position in the batting order, Raj, who didn’t get a chance to bat in the last match after being pushed to No 6, said the spot doesn’t matter as long as she is playing for India.
“By default, all my years I’ve been in the middle. So I enjoy being there and I would like to continue batting there. I enjoy opening. I enjoy batting No. 3. At the end of the day, I just enjoy batting,” she says.
After 19 overs, India 137/3 - INDIA WIN BY SEVEN WICKETS!
Veda Krishnamurthy finishes it off in style with a slog sweep over midwicket for four. Survived a stumping down the leg side, a runout chance in that over after a mixup and was almost caught at cover (tough chance) but makes sure the chase doesn’t go to the last over with a 5-ball 8. Kaur remains 14 not out.
After 18 overs, India 126/3 - Mithali Raj falls
A Wicket for Diana Baig and it’s the big fish. Mithali Raj goes for a lofted shot over midwicket but there’s no timing on this. Neither placement. Caught at deep midwicket by Dar.
Seven runs still came from that over as Kaur played a square drive off the first ball to make sure the over was off to a good start for India.
India need 8 off 12 balls. Veda is the new player out in the middle.
After 17 overs, India 119/2 - Raj 56, Kaur 8
Ah! Super shot by Kaur. Came down the track, Mir threw it wide but the Indian captain was alert to get bat on ball and squeezed it behind third man for four. And that four meant India got 8 off the over.
15 needed off 18 balls.
After 16 overs, India 111/2 - Raj 54, Kaur 1
FIFTY FOR MITHALI RAJ! What do you do when your team needs a steady, mature innings? Call Mithali Raj. A 42-ball fifty that comes up with a lovely shot over midwicket for a four. Stepped up the scoring rate when she had to.
India need 23 off 24 balls. A crucial over for India too, just making sure the required rate is not going out of hand after the loss of wicket. Something, something, experience, something. Top knock.
After 15 overs, India 97/1 - Raj 42, Rodrigues 15
WICKET! Well, well. That’s a useful breakthrough for Pakistan. Jemimah, as her praises were being sung, chips one back to Nida Dar. A caught and bowled followed by the Shahid Afridi pose!
100 came up in that over. 33 needed off 30 balls. Harmanpreet Kaur is in the middle.
After 14 overs, India 97/1 - Raj 42, Rodrigues 15
Now that she has her eye in, Rodrigues (who, the commentator reminds us repeatedly, is only 18) steps down and plays a delightful lofted cover drive for four. Just when a few dot balls were starting to pile up. Mature batting. 8 runs from that over by Maroof.
Need 37 off 36 balls
After 13 overs, India 89/1 - Raj 40, Rodrigues 9
Five runs from Sana Mir’s over. Four singles and a wide. Steady batting.
After 12 overs, India 84/1 - Raj 38, Rodrigues 7
Maroof continues, and India not taking too many chances at the moment with the required rate just over 6. Rodrigues with a lofted shot in that over that fell shot of Aliya at long off but fielded well eventually.
After 11 overs, India 78/1 - Raj 36, Rodrigues 3
Steady over for India, two singles each for Raj and Rodrigues. The senior and junior out in the middle trying to shepherd India past the finish line. 56 needed from 54 balls.
After 10 overs, India 74/1 - Raj 34, Rodrigues 1
Bismah Maroof, the batting saviour, gets the first bowling breakthrough as well. Perhaps uncalled for by Smriti given she had already made 6 runs off the first two balls. (Including a loft over cover that was all class). But then that’s twice in two matches now that she has been dismissed playing the big shot down the leg side. Still, even if it’s not a return to form, it’s a solid knock by the Indian opener.
After 9 overs, India 67/0 - Raj 34, Mandhana 20
A really good over from Nida Dar, giving only 4. But not much damage done.
After 8 overs, India 63/0 - Raj 33, Mandhana 18
Two more delightful boundaries off the bat of Mithali Raj. Width from Aliya and square driven. Strayed on the pads then, flicked with elegance.
10-run over and the fifty partnership as well between the Indian openers. 71 needed off 72 balls.
After 7 overs, India 53/0 - Raj 23, Mandhana 18
Diana Baig back into the attack with her medium pace. Five runs from the over, Smriti has a nervy moment when she played a lofted chip with the bottom hand coming off. Falls safe though.
50 comes up in that over for the Indians. Steady start, just what the doctor order perhaps.
After 6 overs, India 48/0 - Raj 20, Mandhana 16
The boundaries continue to come. Dar into the attack and Mithali welcomes her with a sweep through square leg for four. Showing off her range, is the veteran.
Good powerplay for India. Need 86 more from 84 balls.
Our correspondent Zenia D’Cunha chips in:
After 5 overs, India 43/0 - Raj 15, Mandhana 16
India dealing in boundaries at the moment. One bad ball in that Anam over, and it’s duly punished by Smriti. Short, uppishly pulled over square leg. Easy pickings.
After 4 overs, India 39/0 - Raj 15, Mandhana 12
Two delightful boundaries for Mithali! Oh, the joy of seeing her drive the ball. Identical shots too, using the feet, getting to the pitch of the ball and driving through the gap between cover and mid-off.
After 3 overs, India 31/0 - Raj 7, Mandhana 12
Sana Mir into the attack early on and India content to play the ball into the gaps and take ones and twos. Misfield off the last ball doesn’t help Pakistan’s cause.
Meanwhile, India have won the third match to sweep the series 3-0 against Windies with an interesting run-chase.
India v West Indies (men’s T20I) live blog here.
After 2 overs, India 26/0 - Raj 6, Mandhana 8
Two lovely shots by Smriti off Anam Amin’s over. Two lovely shots through the offside. One cut past point, one driven through cover. Lovely use of her feet on both occasions.
After 1 over, India 17/0 - Raj 6, Mandhana 0
Not too surprisingly, Raj is back opening the innings because India want solidity in this run-chase and not a mad start. Baig gets some movement early on. 7 runs from the over, as Raj finishes with a flick through square leg for four.
TARGET 134, INDIA START 10/0: And it’s Mithali Raj opening the batting for India alongside Smriti Mandhana.
After 20 overs, Pakistan 133/7
END OF THE INNINGS: And a disappointing last over for Pakistan. Last ball, another instance of two batters running down the middle of the pitch. Another penalty given, another run docked from the score. Pakistan’s score revised to 133 and India start on 10/0. So essentially Pakistan just went one run better than their best T20I total. Disappointing game awareness, that after such a fighting batting effort.
19.5: WICKET! Poonam Yadav gets Sana Mir stumped. Two wickets in three balls for Poonam. Another batter going down the track far too early with the pace Yadav bowls that. This own keeps low as well.
19.3: WICKET! Poonam Yadav gets Aliya stumped, one ball after she played a lovely lofted straight drive down the ground for four. The batter misread the length of that one, was stranded down the ground.
Pakistan 129/5 after 19 overs - EVENTFUL OVER!
WICKET OFF THE FIRST BALL: Maroof’s innings comes to an end as she finds Veda at long on, who is disappointed after taking that catch, given her earlier drop.
FIFTY AND OUT FOR DAR! The half century comes up with a slog over midwicket for six off Hemalatha. She’s played that shot to perfection tonight. Mandhana takes the catch, in fact, but then steps on the boundary rope. Tough chance.
Next ball however, it’s a wicket for Hemalatha as Dar hits one straight to Kaur at cover.
Both set batters out.
Pakistan 124/3 after 18 overs - Maroof 54, Dar 46
Pakistan penalised 5 runs for running on the pitch, despite repeated warnings. It will be added to India’s tally when they come out. But could be a big blow, given how hard it was to score them.
9 runs from that Deepti Sharma over though, which finishes with a boundary for Dar, who pulls through square leg.
HIGHEST T20I TOTAL FOR PAKISTAN WOMEN’S TEAM!
Pakistan 115/3 after 17 overs - Maroof 51, Dar 40
FIFTY FOR MAROOF! Pakistan’s senior-most player has stepped up and how. This is the first fifty for Pakistan against India in women’s T20Is. Played, Maroof.
A big over too, as Dar finishes it with a boundary through midwicket off Hemalatha.
Pakistan 106/3 after 16 overs - Maroof 48, Dar 34
Big over! Reddy comes back into the attack and concedes a couple of boundaries to Maroof. One cut late through the two fielders inside the circle behind square and that’s followed by a scoop over the keeper. Superb batting.
This is already Pakistan women’s highest score in a T20I against India.
Pakistan 95/3 after 15 overs - Maroof 38, Dar 34
After a break in play due to Maroof struggling in the heat (cramp, much like Harmanpreet had the other day seemingly) it’s another good over for Pakistan. Both players are in the 30s now. Maroof with a lovely inside out boundary in that over.
Pakistan 86/3 after 14 overs - Maroof 24, Dar 31
OH DEAR! This is horrendous fielding by India now. Maroof comes down the track, misreads a googly off Yadav, and top edges one. This goes straight up and Poonam, inexplicably, backtracks away. Harman runs in from cover (was it her call?) and it falls between the fielders. Horror.
50 partnership up, in the meantime.
Pakistan 78/3 after 13 overs - Maroof 24, Dar 31
DROPPED! What is going on with this Indian fielding unit all of a sudden? Radha Yadhav must be kicking herself for her luck tonight. Dar miscues a sweep shot and it’s a simple chance for Poonam at square leg. She spills it on the run.
Pakistan 72/3 after 12 overs - Maroof 19, Dar 21
Massive hit over midwicket! Nida Dar is going to make India pay for the dropped catch, by the looks of things. Down the track against Deepti, and then smacked over midwicket on her knees. Interesting looking shot.
RUN-RATE IS NOW 6 FOR PAKISTAN.
Pakistan 63/3 after 11 overs - Maroof 19, Dar 21
DROPPED! Oh dear. This has been a bizarre day for India so far in the field. Some sharp ground fielding but sloppy catching. Dar lofts Radha down the ground, it’s straight down the throat of India’s best fielder perhaps. But Veda Krishnamurthy drops a sitter. And the ball goes for four. 10 runs from that over. Pakistan moving along nicely now.
Look at that loud appeal from Deepti:
Pakistan 53/3 after 10 overs - Maroof 16, Dar 14
50 up for Pakistan at the halfway stage. Deepti Sharma with her second over and concedes 5 runs. Five singles off the first balls. LOUD APPEAL OFF THE LAST BALL FOR LBW. But India have no reviews left. Over the wicket to a left-hander, that’s always difficult to convince the umpire. Did it pitch just outside leg stump? Yes, it did. Good decision by the umpire.
Pakistan 48/3 after 9 overs - Maroof 14, Dar 11
Another 8-run over for Pakistan. Dar with her second boundary. A well-timed sweep shot, lofted over square leg. Good little phase for Pakistan here.
Pakistan 40/3 after 8 overs - Maroof 11, Dar 6
Reddy comes back into the attack for her second over. Pakistan batters showed a weakness against the pacers vs Australia and Kaur might have wanted to exploit that. But Dar does well to finish the over with a boundary — a squeeze past point off a full, wide ball.
Pakistan 32/3 after 7 overs - Maroof 8, Dar 1
WICKET! Peak Pakistan, one could say! Oh dear, oh dear. Poonam Yadav into the attack. Maroof taps one to point, takes a start and then pulls out. Javeria has backed up too far. And a bullet throw from Radha Yadav is collected by Poonam and the bails are off. Well short. Disastrous for Pakistan.
Nida Dar is the new batter.
Pakistan 30/2 after 6 overs - Javeria 17, Maroof 7
End of the powerplay and it’s the best over of the innings for Pakistan. 10 from Hemalatha’s first over — a boundary each for Maroof and Javeria down the same area. Maroof sweeps one through fine leg, Javeria cuts one late for four.
Pakistan 20/2 after 5 overs - Javeria 13, Maroof 2
INDIA LOSE REVIEW: Off the last ball off Deepti Sharma’s first over, a review taken for caught behind off Javeria. But there was no edge. Taniya, who had to juggle for that catch, perhaps missed a stumping opportunity.
Four runs off the over, with a wide. Tight lines by India, and some sharp ground fielding.
Pakistan 16/2 after 4 overs - Javeria 12, Maroof 0
RUN-OUT! Tremendous from Jemimah! Omaima Sohail is run out after a superb direct hit from teenager. Omaima took off after tapping the ball and despite no hesitation, is caught short. Superb pick up and release. Javeria hits a four off Radha later in the over to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Pakistan 10/1 after 3 overs - Javeria 6, Omaima 3
DROPPED! Classic live-blogger’s curse. Just as we appreciated India’s fielding, Mandhana puts down a SIMPLE chance at mid-on off the first ball, captain Javeria gets a life. The first boundary follows soon, with a lofted shot over midwicket to rub salts into Reddy’s wound.
Pakistan 4/1 after 2 overs - Javeria 1, Omaima 2
Another good over from an Indian point of view. Radha concedes just 4 runs, one of them a harsh wide.
What a stop that was by Hemalatha in that over at mid-on, diving full length to stop a bouncing ball. After that sharp catch by Veda and a good effort to stop a boundary by Mandhana. India’s fielding has been on point so far in this
Pakistan 0/1 after 1 over - A maiden-wicket in the first over!
What a start for India, Ayesh Zafar is gone for a duck. Reddy starts off with five dot balls. The Pakistan batter struggling to get off the strike or find the gap in the field, even dancing down the track once. Off the last ball, she tries to run one past slips but Veda takes a sharp catch at wide first slip — low and to her right.
8.29 pm: After that near perfect beginning on Friday, the Indian women’s team will be overwhelming favourites against arch-rivals Pakistan. Reddy with the ball in her hand, Ayesha and captain Javeria open the batting.
Let the action begin!
8.25 pm: All set for the game to begin. Time for the national anthems. India’s decision to bowl first has surprised the TV experts. All three matches (completed) so far have been won by team’s batting first.
8.15 PM: Story time, how India lost to Pakistan at home in the last World T20.
India’s batting struggled on a slow and low pitch, barely able to string together partnerships on that day in Kotla, Delhi in 2016. No one emphasised that struggle more than Mithali Raj, who made a 35-ball 16 after opening the batting.
Having managed to score 96/7 in 20 overs thanks to Veda Krishnamurthy’s late cameo, India then went about putting Pakistan’s batting under pressure. The visitors obliged too, going from 48/1 to 77/6 before rain halted play.
But Pakistan won by two runs (Duckworth / Lewis) because the ground couldn’t be readied in time before the cut-off time — because there was a men’s match scheduled later on the same day.
Here we are, more than two years later, the women’s game is having a standalone event. And one where India are a young, energetic side, confident enough in their skills to play Mithali Raj in the middle order.
Pitch update: The pitch looks to be a belter and expect both sides to score runs. But India’s bowlers will need to do a good job first up. India are playing four spinners and the lone pacer in Arundhati Reddy.
Playing XIs
India: Smriti Mandhana, Taniya Bhatia (W), Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Dayalan Hemalatha, Mithali Raj, Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav
Pakistan: Nahida Khan, Ayesha Zafar, Umaima Sohail, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan (C), Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Sana Mir, Diana Baig, Sidra Nawaz (W), Anam Amin
8.00 PM: Toss time!
India have won the toss and will field first. Harmanpreet says that there is moisture in the wicket, which will help the team bowling first. Pakistan captain Javeria Khan says Pakistan would have preferred to bat first anyway.
India go in with an unchanged XI, not wishing to disturb a winning combination. Pakistan has one change as Diana Baig comes in for Nashra Sandhu.
7.50 PM: India might have begun in fine style in the Caribbean, but as captain Harmanpreet was quick to point out after the match, this was just the beginning. Against Pakistan, nothing less than their A game would and should satisfy this hungry Indian outfit.
7.40 PM: What does the India vs Pakistan Women’s World T20 match means to both teams?
Watch and read what Smriti Mandhana, Javiera Khan, Sana Mir and coaches of what teams had to say.