COLOMBO:
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur refused to shake hands with her Pakistani counterpart Fatima Sana at the toss and after winning the Women’s World Cup cricket match on Sunday, mirroring the actions of her country’s men’s teams at the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month.
Kaur’s gesture, or a lack thereof, came amid a lingering political frost between India and Pakistan that overshadowed the cricketing spectacle at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where India thrashed Pakistan by 88 runs.
There were no formal greetings between the teams before the national anthems, at the start of the match, nor any post-match handshakes, as players walked straight off to their dressing rooms after the game.
The unease was palpable even before the first ball was bowled. Confusion erupted at the toss, as Fatima Sana’s call of “tails” was misheard by match referee Shandre Fritz and announcer Mel Jones as “heads,” leading to the toss being wrongly awarded to Pakistan, who elected to field first.
Batting first, India posted 247, anchored by Harleen Deol’s steady 46 off 65 balls and powered late by wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh’s unbeaten 35 from just 20 deliveries, which included three boundaries and two towering sixes.
Pakistan’s Diana Baig bowled valiantly, taking 4 for 47, though she missed a five-wicket haul after overstepping when Jemimah Rodrigues was caught behind.
Pakistan’s chase faltered early. India’s new-ball bowlers struck quickly before spinners Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana shared five wickets, tightening the noose. Seamer Kranti Goud’s incisive 3-wicket spell earned her the Player of the Match award.
Only Sidra Amin offered resistance for Pakistan, crafting an elegant 81 off 106 balls with nine fours and a six before falling to a sweep shot off Rana. Sana admitted disappointment. “Sidra was superb again, but someone had to stay with her till the end. We gave away too many runs in the Power Play,” she said.
The victory pushed India to the top of the table in the eight-nation tournament, co-hosted with Sri Lanks, where Pakistan will play all their matches. So far, Pakistan remain winless, languishing in the sixth place.
