SL W VS PAK W T20

Right then, the opening day of the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup has come to an end and we have seen a couple of low totals getting defended very nicely. Next up, the tournament shifts to Dubai with another doubleheader lined up. First up on Friday, 4 October, it will be South Africa Women taking on West Indies Women in a Group B encounter beginning at 10 am GMT. This will be followed by a Group A game between India Women and New Zealand Women at 2 pm GMT. Both games will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai and you can join us an hour in advance for the build-up of both those games. Until then, take care and goodbye!

Fatima Sana Khan, the skipper of Pakistan Women now reflects on the match and starts off by thanking the Almighty for their first win in this World Cup. She continues that they won the toss but failed to score maximum runs on the board, which they will certainly work on and come back as a better team. She states that she was a bit worried as Baig was injured. Further adds that she very well knows that she is an important asset for the team but she kept her nerves and bowled well under pressure. Ends up saying they got their momentum and they would love to carry this further.

Chamari Athapaththu, the captain of Sri Lanka Women begins by congratulating the Pakistan Women skipper, Fatima Sana Khan. Says she is a young captain who played good cricket overall. Adds that they struggled to chase 120 which is disappointing and need to adapt according to these conditions. Ends by saying that it is all about the approach and they are looking forward to the contest against Australia.

Fatima Sana Khan wins the Player of the Match for her excellent all-round showing. She starts by thanking her teammates and the management for her performance. She continues that she tried to be calm and backed herself when things were not turning well for her team. She ends up saying that they wanted an early wicket and since then their plan started working.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Pakistan Women won the toss and Fatima Sana Khan opted to bat first as conditions were warm and there didn't seem to be much dew either. Pakistan hobbled their way to 116 runs thanks to a couple of handy knocks from Nida Dar and the skipper herself. Sri Lanka Women put on a solid performance with the ball as three bowlers picked up three wickets each and their skipper was also in the thick of things. However, in the second half of the game, the bowlers kept on ruling the roost and the Lankan batters fell well short of the target.

Pakistan Women had a defendable total on board but by no means a big one and just after one delivery, they lost their premier pacer, Diana Baig as she hobbled off the pitch, exaggerating a previous calf injury. This forced captain Fatima Sana Khan to employ herself and she got the big wicket of the opposing keeper. The spinners then weaved a web with Omaima Sohail leading the charge and then the others came into play as well. Sadia Iqbal picked up three wickets in the latter stages of the game as Omaima, Fatima and Nashra Sundhu all finished with a couple each. They will be disappointed to put down a lot of catches which might not turn out to be as forgiving as it did in this game.

Sri Lanka Women might have been one of the most improved and in-form sides coming into this T20 World Cup but this game has been a reflection of their shortcomings with that bat which was quite common a while ago. They used to depend heavily on skipper Chamari Athapaththu but that seemed to have changed in recent times. However, once Athapathu departed early in the chase, they couldn't quite fill her boots. Vishmi Gunarathne tried to play and anchor innings but kept running out of partners and it was only Nilakshika Silva who showed some fight as she employed the sweep shot pretty effectively.

What a turnaround in fortunes for both sides and Pakistan Women might have just turned a huge corner here. They had a poor record in recent times after the retirement of their talismanic skipper, Bismah Maroof and had lost the last three T20I games against Sri Lanka Women as well. However, they have been able to pull together as a team and start their campaign with a win.

THAT'S IT! Pakistan Women have done it! They have defended a below-par score and have outplayed a strong Sri Lankan side. Good-length delivery, in the line of the sticks, Inoshi Fernando heaves it to deep mid-wicket for a single. Pakistan Women win by 31 runs and kick off their campaign with a valiant fight and get those two vital points on the board.

Length ball that curves onto the middle stump, Prabodhani guides it towards backward point with soft hands and rotates the strike.

Fatima Sana Khan bowls a fuller one, on the off stump, this is driven to covers.

A yorker on the pads, Udeshika Prabodani clips it down to short fine.

Udeshika Prabodani is the last batter in for Sri Lanka Women.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Fatima Sana Khan takes all the pace off from the ball and it is dipping on the batter outside off, Nisansala premeditates to play a reverse ramp but ends up getting the major connection from the outer half of her willow to the keeper. The ball dips low due to lack of pace and a regulation catch practice for Muneeba Ali behind the sticks as she dives forward to her left. Pakistan Women are just a solitary wicket away from an emphatic win.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Fatima Sana Khan takes all the pace off from the ball and it is dipping on the batter outside off, Nisansala premeditates to play a reverse ramp but ends up getting the major connection from the outer half of her willow to the keeper. The ball dips low due to lack of pace and a regulation catch practice for Muneeba Ali behind the sticks as she dives forward to her left. Pakistan Women are just a solitary wicket away from an emphatic win.

Full length and fairly outside the off stump, Sachini Nisansala plays and misses.