The Indian women’s team maintained its supremacy in the Asia Cup by beating Pakistan for its sixth title in as many editions here on Sunday.
Veteran Mithali Raj, who was removed as Twenty20 captain before the start of the tournament, made a statement with an unbeaten 73 to guide India to 121 for five in 20 overs.
The bowlers then bowled brilliantly to limit Pakistan to 104 for six, completing a 17-run win. The star with ball once against was left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht, who took two wickets conceding 22 runs in her four overs.
It was the second time that India got the better of Pakistan in the competition, having beaten it by five wickets in the league stage besides remaining unbeaten in five games en route to the final.
It was also a sweet revenge of sorts for India, which had lost to Pakistan during the World T20 at home in March.
With the memorable win, India also managed to maintain its enviable record in the continental event, having won all the six editions to have taken place so far.
However, the first four editions starting from 2004 were played in the 50 over format and the following two have been in the shortest format. In the last edition held in Guangzhou in 2012, India won the trophy after defeating Pakistan in the final.
The champion team could not have repeated the feat if it was not for the superlative efforts from Mithali and Ekta.
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Mithali was instrumental in the team’s resounding success, amassing 220 runs in four innings to end as the tournament’s highest run-scorer in the competition by some distance.
Second in the list was Pakistan’s Javeria Khan with 128 runs in six innings.
Mithali kept calm in both tense games against Pakistan to help the team’s cause. Her 73 not out in the final was her highest score in the tournament and it came in quick time at the top of the order. She ended with a strike rate of 112, smashing seven 4s and a six.
The new captain Harmanpreet Kaur had a quiet tournament by her standards as the allrounder failed to muster up a 30-plus score in six innings and took just two wickets.
Spinner Ekta came good for India with the ball, ending as the team’s most successful bowler with 10 wickets at an average of 5.20.
She along with the rest of the bowlers, ensured Pakistan never got close to the target.
The scores:
India women: Mithali Rai (not out) 73, Smriti Mandhana c Asmavia Iqbal b Anam Amin 6, Sabbhineni Meghana run out 9, Veda Krishnamurthy lbw b Sadia Yousuf 2, Harmanpreet Kaur b Anam Amin 5, Jhulan Goswami c Javeria Khan b Sana Mir 17, Anuja Patil (not out) 0; Extras (w-8, nb-1): 9; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 121.
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-68, 3-73, 4-89, 5-120.
Pakistan women bowling: Asmavia Iqbal 3-0-23-0, Sana Mir 4-0-23-1, Anam Amin 4-0-24-2, Sadia Yousuf 4-0-15-1, Nida Dar 4-0-29-0, Iram Javed 1-0-7-0.
Pakistan women: Ayesha Zafar b Jhulan Goswami 15, Javeria Khan c Kaur b Ekta Bisht 22, Asmavia Iqbal b Shikha Pandey 1, Bismah Maroof c & b Patil 25, Nain Abidi st Verma b Preeti Bose 9, Iram Javed st Verma b Ekta Bisht 3, Nida Dar (not out) 12, Sana Mir (not out) 12; Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-3): 5; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 104.
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-28, 3-56, 4-75, 5-79, 6-81.
India women bowling: Ekta Bisht 4-0-22-2, Anuja Patil 4-0-18-1, Jhulan Goswami 4-0-19 -1, Shikha Pandey 2-0-17-1, Preeti Bose 4-0-18-1, Harmanpreet Kaur 2-0-8-0 . — PTI
