IND-W vs PAK-W, World Cup 2025 Highlights: India win by 88 runs against Pakistan; Richa, Kranti, Deepti shine

It's 5-0 in the World Cup and 12-0 overall as despite so many mistakes and flaws, the Indian women's team was able to get past their Pakistan rivals by a massive margin of 88 runs.

If Deepti Sharma can do it, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur does it even better. A bullseye throw from Harmanpreet Kaur caught Diana Baig short as India are just one wicket away from their second consecutive victory of the Women's World Cup.

End of a fine, fine knock by Sidra Amin as the 33-year-old fought the valiant but lone battle for Pakistan, scoring 81 runs, but it was Sneh Rana, who had the last laugh. Amin tried to scoop a delivery angled across, a leading edge and Harmanpreet Kaur caught it diving ahead and Pakistan lost their eighth.

Deepti Sharma strikes now as she bowls Rameen Shamim around her legs and Pakistan are falling apart here.

Sneh Rana finally has a wicket to show for as she broke the partnerships between the two Sidras - Amin and Nawaz - by dismissing the latter. It seemed like Rana couldn't control the ball and it slipped out of her hand and Nawaz tried to hit it big but mistimed and hit it straight back to the bowler.

After 35 overs, Pakistan have scored 124 runs in the 248-run chase and have to score exactly those many runs in the remaining 15 overs. The task seems to be an uphill one for Pakistan, but they still have the set batter, Sidra Amin, in the middle.

Yes, she took her own sweet time but surprisingly, Sidra Amin was the only batter to go past a half-century in the game as she kept her side in the hunt, despite Pakistan being five wickets down.

The Pakistan captain, Fatima San,a has been dismissed now. She holes this out to long-on as Deepti gets her first. Pakistan now in big trouble at 102/5 in 30.5

Pakistan have put up 100 runs on the board. A little later than they would have liked, but they have batted better than they did against Bangladesh. They bring their 100 in the 30th over.

And the dismissal comes for India. Kranti Gaud was brought back to the attack, and the change has worked as Natalia edged this to  backward point, where Radha Yadav pouched it with ease. Pakistan 95/4 after 27.1

Sidra Amin with a four off Deepti Sharma as she unleashed a sweep. She is closing in on her fifty and is keeping Pakistan alive. Six from the 26th over. Pakistan need 158 from 144 balls.

Sidra Amin and Natalia Parvaiz have brought up a fifty-run stand and even though, they have taken over 12 overs for the same, Pakistan needed a partnership after losing three wickets early for not many runs and both Amin and Parvaiz have been solid, while not missing on scoring opportunities as well.

The six, which Sidra Amin hit in the 18th over bowled by Sneh Rana, was the first one by a Pakistani batter against India in women's ODIs in 12th instance. No other Pakistan batter had hit a six against India women in ODIs ever, in previous 11 meetings over 20 years.

Wasted reviews, missed reviews, poor umpiring calls, a run-out which shouldn't have been, some luck and a lot of good bowling meant that the first 10 overs were really eventful and India have been able to keep the game in control. Kranti Goud made the start even better, striking for the second time on the first delivery of the 11th over.

Pakistan are tottering now, having lost three wickets for not many as Kranti Goud sends Aliyah Riaz packing, with the Test match line and length, getting her caught at second slip, with some genius bit of field-placement.

What are India doing with their reviews? Taking them when it is clearly not out and not being interested when it goes on to hit the stumps. Harmanpreet Kaur's decision-making depending on what the keeper and bowler think, hasn't been the best so far,

Kranti Goud finally gets the reward for her consistency. Sadaf Shamas was itching to get going and played a lofted shot straight back to the bowler, who made no mistake and Pakistan are two down.

Indian pacers Renuka Singh Thakur and Kranti Goud have consistently hit the Pakistani batters' pads but have been unable get decisions in their favour. After the failed review in the first over, Harmanpreet Kaur has been very conservative with the reviews and lost several opportunities to get another wicket.

After a failed review, and a couple of missed reviews, India finally get their player as Muneeba Ali, despite being in the crease, lifted her bat for a moment and Deepti Sharma's direct hit caught her short of her ground. Since she wasn't diving, as per rules, she was rightly adjudged out.

Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana wanted to restrict India to less than 250 and her side was actually able to achieve the target they had set. However, the Women in Blue had the momentum, after Richa Ghosh's pyrotechnics helped India to push towards that 250-mark. Can Pakistan chase it down? It promises to be a thrilling second half, surely.

It was a bizarre day for Diana Baig, who started and ended poorly, but had a few wickets in the middle, including a maiden over. Baig finished with wickets on the last two balls as it was the first time Pakistan were able to dismiss India for the first time in women's ODIs.

Richa Ghosh is single-handedly ensuring that India might still be in the hunt for a score around 250, as she has belted Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana for a six and then Diana Baig for a six and a four.

Diana Baig, who was expensive in her first spell, has bowled an exceptional maiden over in the 46th over and has gotten the set batter Deepti Sharma out. India are seven down now.

Just when it seemed like Sneh Rana was starting to get going, she has hit straight into the hands of Aliya Riaz at long-on and India lose their sixth wicket immediately after going past the 200-run mark.

Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma, in the last two overs, have begun to play their shots and India have crossed the 200-run mark. If these two stay till the end, India might be able to breach that 250 mark.

The break hasn't helped India as another batter after getting a start falls, this time it's Jemimah Rodrigues, who had already swept Nashra Sandhu once in the over, before the left-arm spinner came back with a plan and a setup, bowling one wide and then bringing back into the line of the stumps and the Indian batter missed the line. Jemimah was dismissed for 32 and India are now five down, with 15 overs to go.

The play has resumed after 10-12 minutes of fumigation, however, it doesn't look like if it has worked because the mosquitoes and moths are still surrounding the players but hopefully, both teams would have made their strategies and India will aim to push for 250-260.

The play has been stopped due to fumigation as the players have been frustrated with the moths and flies disturbing them a lot and interrupting their flow. Mel Jones uttered that this might be the first time that she saw play getting halted for such a reason but players' safety was of utmost important and it will be a 15-minute break.

Just when it started looking like a partnership was starting to build, Harleen Deol has failed to convert another start after having played 65 deliveries. Deol tried to hit Rameen Shamim over the long-on fielder but mistimed it and hit straight into the hands of the fielder. India are four down now!

Poor communication between the two batters almost had India gift Jemimah Rodrigues' wicket to Pakistan. Harleen Deol was left ball-watching at the non-striker's end and Jemimah was past more than half the crease before being sent back. Jemimah used her diving technique to the fullest to ensure that she reached just in time with her bat sliding in at the last moment.

Diana Baig had her tails up and had almost dismissed Jemimah Rodrigues cheaply until the dreaded siren went off, indicating that it was a no-ball and the Indian batter has survived. Will the lifeline help her go big as India's run-rate is still meandering around 4.3-4.4.

Harmanpreet Kaur hasn't been in the best of forms with the bat and after hitting a couple of boundaries, the Indian captain was sent back to the pavilion with pacer Diana Baig inducing an outside edge and the keeper didn't make a mistake. India are three down now and don't have a lot on the board, desperately in need of partnerships.

The repair job has been a bit slow from Harmanpreet Kaur and Harleen Deol but if they get set, India will be aware that they can accelerate at a fast pace. Indian batters have allowed Pakistan spinners to dictate the game but the Women in Blue have crossed 100.

Pratika Rawal had begun outstandingly well, getting off the blocks quickly, scoring 22 off just 16 deliveries, however, as soon as India lost Smriti Mandhana and powerplay ended, the right-hander went into a shell and despite scoring a boundary the ball before, she was cleaned up by Sadia Iqbal, who got a little more bounce than anticipated and caught Rawal off-guard.

India have ended the powerplay on a great note, with Harleen Deol opening her account with a boundary. India did lose one wicket but were able to score at an increased pace, a lesson learned by the Women in Blue from the last game. 

Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana was constantly troubling Smriti Mandhana with that shortish length on stumps and after a failed review in the last over, she has gotten the umpire to decide in her favour, this time around as the Indian vice-captain falls for 23, falling 12 short of breaking Belinda Clark's world record. India will now hope that Harleen Deol and Pratika Rawal can India's innings forward while scoring at a certain tempo.

It has been a smashing start for India, going nearly a run-a-ball with Pratika Rawal taking the lead this time around, having scored 23* off 19, while Mandhana, who got out cheaply in the last game, taking a bit of time to understand the pace of the surface.

It was a surprise that Pakistan began with the left-arm spinner Sadia instead of the two pacers Diana Baig and the captain herself and with a boundary in the very first over itself, the Indian openers got going. 

Pakistan's national anthem was followed by India's 'Jana Gana Mana' and we are ready to go as Pakistan hand the ball to left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal for the first over. Pratika Rawal will take the strike as India aim to get a good start, keeping in mind the moisture in the surface early on.

Playing XI: Muneeba Ali, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin, Rameen Shamim, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz(w), Fatima Sana(c), Natalia Pervaiz, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal

Playing XI: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to field first in overcast conditions in Colombo. Sana admitted that it wasn't a great start for her team in the last game but was keen to put on a better show on Sunday in the crunch game. On the other hand, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur also wanted to bowl first but didn't mind batting first too, taking confidence from the last game.

56m boundary on one side and 63m on the other with the pockets being 67m and the straight one being the longest at 70m. The conditions were very humid and muggy in Colombo with rain around and the captain winning the toss would have been an ideal call, as told by Mpommy Mbangwa and Anjum Chopra in the pitch report. There was a lot of grass on the surface but since the last night's clash was washed out, there would be some moisture in it. If the players are able to get through initial period with the new ball, there are runs to be had.

It's 11-0 in the ODIs and 5-0 in the Women's World Cup between India and Pakistan as it has been pretty one-way traffic in the Women in Blue's favour. The chances are less for a change but there are always firsts and who knows what this Fatima Sana-led team might throw up on Sunday?

The India-Pakistan rivalry began with the men's cricket and has bled into all other sports, while taking a piece of politics with it, even if those don't want it to meddle with the sport. The last three weeks have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of it, most of it off the field in the aftermath of the cross-border conflict in April-May and like the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said, there will be no handshakes, a departure from how the India vs Pakistan women's games have been in the past.

It's the fourth Sunday in a row, featuring an India vs Pakistan clash, but this time it's World Cup game between the two women's teams and the backdrop changes from hot Dubai to muggy and overcast Colombo. The Pakistan women's team is yet to turn over India in ODIs ever, with the Women in Blue having a 11-0 record, but previous stats and numbers stand for very littler ahead of a new World Cup game. But India have started well with a win and Pakistan lost to Bangladesh in their opening game. Can India continue their unbeaten run against Pakistan?