Women in Blue avenge men's team loss, thrash Pakistan by 95 runs

  New Delhi: Indian spinners led by Ekta Bisht’s five-for wreaked havoc to bowl out Pakistan for 74 and register an easy 95-run victory over Pakistan in a Women’s World Cup group stage match in Derby. Third victory in as many matches takes the Indian eves to the top of the table with a healthy net run rate. For the first time in the tournament the Indian bowlers were put under some pressure and they came out in flying colours. Captain Mithali Raj had her plans clear as she gave left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht the new ball and she delivered the goods immediately. She had got a first ball breakthrough in the previous match against West Indies and on Sunday it took her 4 balls to get into the wickets column against Pakistan. Her round-arm deliveries caught the Pakistan top order by surprise. Ekta got three leg before with her accurate line and length and reduced Pakistan to 14 for 4 chasing a target of 170. Ekta returned with stunning figures of 5 for 18 in her full quota. She was well supported by off spinners Deepti Sharma (1/21) and Harmanpreet Kaur (1/6). Apart from the spinners the seamers also played their part. Mansi Joshi, coming in place of Shikha Pandey picked up 2 wickets for 9 runs. Earlier, batting first India posted 169/9. Indian eves started on a bad note as opener Smriti Mandhana (2) was sent back to the pavilion in the fourth over by Nashra Sandhu with just seven runs on the board. But incoming batswoman Deepti Sharma (28) along with Punam Raut (47) stabilised the Indian innings. The duo forged a 76-run partnership for the second wicket before Raut was adjudged leg before off Diana Baig. Raut, in her 72-ball knock slammed five boundaries. New batswoman Mithali Raj (8) then arrived at the middle but failed to step up to the occasion. After adding 19 runs with Deepti, Mithali was also dismissed by Sandhu in the 27th over. Deepti, who seemed good at the crease, then felt the pressure at the other end and was sent packing in the same over by Sandhu. With scoreboard reading 94/4 in 27 overs, middle-order batswomen Harmanpreet Kaur (10) and Mona Meshram (6) also disappointed as they both fell prey to Sadia Yousuf inside three overs. Lower-order players Sushma Verma (33) and Jhulan Goswami (14) tried to hold the innings together, but Sandhu wrapped up Goswami in the 47th over. Verma was also dismissed in the next over by Asmavia Iqbal. Other players, Mansi Joshi (4 not out), Ekta Bisht (1), Poonam Yadav (6 not out) played as expected from a tail-enders and could only manage to take India past 160-run mark. For Pakistan, Nashra Sandhu sclaped four wickets while Sadia Yousuf took two wickets. Brief scores: India 169/9 (Punam Raut 47, Deepti Sharma 28; Nashra Sandhu 4/26) against Pakistan