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100 is up for Pakistan Women!!

BAN-W won by 23 runs

10:24 PM IST, 5:56 PM LOCAL TIME: Cricket has a funny way of testing belief... and today, Bangladesh Women turned hope into history while Pakistan Women turned comfort into chaos. Who won the battle, and how dramatic was it? Very dramatic. Bangladesh Women defended a modest 123/6 and defeated Pakistan Women by 23 runs, restricting them to 100/8 in 20 overs. At one stage, Pakistan were cruising at 41/0 after the Powerplay and looked destined to complete a routine chase. But what followed was a masterclass in spin bowling, pressure cricket, and patience. Bangladesh not only claimed their second win in three matches, having earlier beaten the Netherlands Women, but also kept their World Cup campaign very much alive. The scoreboard says 23 runs. The momentum swing felt much bigger.

Let's rewind a bit.

How did Bangladesh recover after a dreadful start with the bat? Through resilience. Through leadership. Through Shorna Akter's fearless finish. Pakistan struck early and hard, reducing Bangladesh to 5/2 in the second over and then 13/3 in 4.3 overs. Fatima Sana removed both Dilara Akter (5) and Sharmin Akhter (0), while Tasmia Rubab got Juairiya Ferdous (7). The Powerplay belonged completely to Pakistan as Bangladesh crawled to just 23/3 after six overs. At that point, the innings looked in deep trouble, and even reaching three figures seemed a challenge.

Who rebuilt the innings when Bangladesh desperately needed stability? Captain Nigar Sultana stepped up. Alongside Sobhana Mostary, she calmly repaired the damage. Mostary contributed a brisk 22 off 19 balls before Nashra Sandhu trapped her lbw at 48/4 in the 10th over. Bangladesh reached 50 in 10.4 overs and moved to 72/4 by the drinks break at 14 overs. Nigar was holding one end firmly with 28 at the break, while Pakistan's bowlers continued to squeeze. Nashra's spell of 1/14 from four overs was particularly impressive, keeping the run rate firmly under control.

So how did Bangladesh get to a competitive total? Enter Shorna Akter. The youngster transformed the innings in the final phase. While Nigar contributed a valuable 36 off 38 balls, Shorna exploded at exactly the right time, smashing an unbeaten 39 from just 22 deliveries with five boundaries. Bangladesh crossed 100 in the 18th over and added crucial late runs when Pakistan were looking to finish strongly. The final total of 123/6 did not appear huge, but it felt a lot healthier than it looked after the early collapse. Pakistan's bowlers shared the wickets around, with Fatima Sana finishing with 2/18 and Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu and Tuba Hassan picking up one each.

Now... The Chase!!

How did Pakistan begin the chase? Almost perfectly. Marufa Akter started with a stunning maiden over, but Pakistan quickly recovered from that early dot-ball pressure. Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali attacked positively and punished anything loose. Bangladesh's fielding looked nervous at times, while Pakistan benefited from a few overthrows and sloppy moments in the field. The opening pair added 49 runs and carried Pakistan to 41/0 at the end of the Powerplay. Feroza raced to 22 off 15 balls, Muneeba settled nicely on 16, and Pakistan needed only 83 from 84 balls. The game looked firmly in green.

When did the match begin to turn? One word... Nahida. The left-arm spinner changed everything. First, she removed Gull Feroza for 23 at 49/1. Then she dismissed Muneeba Ali for 25 at 58/2. Suddenly, the chase lost its rhythm. Bangladesh had earlier dropped a catch and missed a run-out opportunity on the same delivery at 6.4 overs, but they refused to let that mistake define them. Instead, Nahida's double strike reopened the contest. Pakistan reached 64/2 at the halfway mark, still the favorites, but the pressure had quietly started building.

Who delivered the knockout punches? Sanjida Akter Meghla. Her 12th over completely flipped the match. First, she trapped Ayesha Zafar lbw for 11. The review only confirmed the on-field decision through the umpire's call. Then, just three balls later, she bowled Aliya Riaz for a duck with a delivery that skidded through and rattled the stumps. Pakistan slipped from 69/2 to 70/4 in the space of a few deliveries. At the final drinks break, they were 76/4 after 14 overs, needing 48 from 36 balls. The required rate had climbed to 8, and Bangladesh suddenly held the psychological edge.

Could Pakistan find one last rescue act? No. Bangladesh's spinners squeezed every ounce of pressure out of the surface. Rabeya Khan ended her spell with a wicket-maiden and returned figures of 1/17. Nahida completed a brilliant 3/18. Sanjida matched her with 3/21. Ritu Moni chipped in with a wicket as well. Pakistan's collapse became severe. They lost eight wickets for only 51 runs after being 49/0. The equation kept getting tougher: 45 needed from 24 balls, then 40 from 18, 38 from 12, and finally 30 from the last over. By then, the contest was effectively over. Pakistan crawled to 100/8, with Fatima Sana's 10 and Nashra Sandhu's unbeaten 9 offering little resistance.

Shorna Akter (Player of the Match): (On coming to the crease with Bangladesh under pressure) "When I went to bat, we had already lost five wickets, so I tried to focus on our scoreboard and batted accordingly.

(On her preferred batting position and adapting to situations) I think if, and when the situation demands, I can bat anywhere.

(On Bangladesh's victory over Pakistan) All the other players also contributed. When I go to the field, I always try to play my role, so I could do it today." 

Fatima Sana (Pakistan Women Captain): (On where the chase went wrong for Pakistan) "I think today, we have no excuses. We were not up to the mark with the batting, and we need to take responsibility for our performances. As a team, we did not perform the way we should have, and we need to step up in matches like these.

(On taking responsibility as a team) We were not up to the mark with the batting, and we need to take responsibility for our performances. As a team, we know where we fell short.

(On preparing for the next match) Obviously, we will sit together and discuss these things. We will look at all the areas where we can improve and work on them.

(On the mindset required going forward) It's not totally about the toss. We need to be more skillful and stronger in our mindset."

Nigar Sultana (Bangladesh Women Captain): (On Shorna Akter's match-changing innings) "Definitely. We lost early wickets today as well, so we really wanted to settle down. Sobhana and I started well in the middle, but she got out. Then Shorna came in, and the way she played, she changed the whole scenario. Because of that cameo, I think we got a good total.

(On Shorna Akter's batting position and role) I think she should keep playing her role, and that's exactly what she did. She's very comfortable in that role. Maybe sometimes we can try her higher up the order, but this is the way she plays, and this is her role.

(On the bowling plan against Pakistan) Initially, the plan was to bowl in the right areas. When I was batting, I felt there was a bit of breeze and that there could be something for the bowlers. I told my bowlers to keep hitting the right areas and bowl into the wicket. Even if the ball was a little short, it was fine as long as they kept bowling into the wicket, because it could give us something.

(On the bowling performances of Sanjida and Nahida) I talked with my bowlers and told them to keep bowling in the right areas and into the wicket. They followed the plan well, and the team kept fighting throughout. I have to give them 10 out of 10 because of the energy they brought to the game. Even after putting up that total, they kept fighting until the last ball and never relaxed in the middle. I was very happy. Each and every player worked really hard in this game, and I think the hard work actually paid off."

So, what will both teams take away from this contest? Bangladesh will remember the character. They recovered from 13/3, posted 123/6, and then defended it with remarkable discipline. Pakistan will wonder how a chase that looked routine at 49/0 ended in defeat by 23 runs. Cricket can be cruel. Cricket can be beautiful. Today, it was Bangladesh's turn to celebrate. A second victory in three matches. A massive boost to their campaign. And a reminder that in World Cups, scoreboards don't win matches... belief does. 

Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Akshay Bhide, scorer Manish Bishnoi, and statistician Aman. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!