Seam bowler Kranti Goud and spinner Deepti Sharma each took three wickets as India routed arch-rivals Pakistan by 88 runs in a Women’s World Cup clash that featured an insect invasion, a controversial dismissal, and no handshakes.

The match took place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the same venue where the previous day’s game between Sri Lanka and Australia was rained off. India, put in to bat, were all out for 247 runs on Sunday before dismissing Pakistan for 159 off 43 overs.

The game started on a frosty note as the two captains—Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and India’s Harmanpreet Kaur—did not shake hands during the toss. The tension lingered throughout, with the teams not acknowledging each other after the match, reflecting the ongoing political strains between the two South Asian neighbors. A similar situation had occurred during the recent men’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

The only half-century of the game came from Pakistan’s Sidra Amin, who scored a commendable 81 runs. Despite her efforts and a 69-run fourth-wicket partnership with Natalia Pervaiz (33), Pakistan fell well short of their target.

Pakistan faced a confusing start when opener Muneeba Ali was adjudged run out under contentious circumstances. Ali had grounded her bat after returning to her crease following a forward movement to play a shot. However, she lifted her bat just as an Indian fielder broke the stumps. Pakistan’s captain Sana argued with the fourth umpire to contest the decision but was unsuccessful.

On the Indian side, Richa Ghosh delivered an impressive all-round performance, taking 3 wickets for 45 runs and previously scoring a quickfire 35 not out to boost India to a competitive total. Harleen Deol laid a strong foundation by top-scoring with 46 runs. Other valuable contributions came from Smriti Mandhana (23), Pratika Rawal (31), Harmanpreet Kaur (19), Jemimah Rodrigues (32), Deepti Sharma (25), and Sneh Rana (20). Ghosh’s aggressive hitting in the final overs, including two sixes and three boundaries, helped India score 44 runs off the last five overs.

The Indian innings, however, was disrupted by swarms of insects, forcing the game to be temporarily halted. Players from both sides were bothered by the insects; Pakistan’s Rameen Shamim even needed assistance from her captain to remove a bug trapped in her eye. Despite Pakistan players using bug sprays, the situation worsened until match officials decided to pause the game for 15 minutes to allow a man in a gas mask to fumigate the field.

With this convincing win, India now tops the eight-team league with two wins from as many games, edging ahead of defending champions Australia by a single point.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/insects-stop-play-but-cant-halt-india-in-world-cup-c-20250974