The experienced campaigner in Fatima Sana replicated the opening game’s playing pattern as Sri Lanka Women were asked to chase on a slow and low Sharjah track on the opening day of the mega-event. Apart from an eight and 10-run over in the powerplay, things had not panned out well for Pakistan Women.
A top-edge to permit Chamari Athapaththu a caught and bowled opportunity on the penultimate delivery of the phase meant that Pakistan had already lost three batters in the first six. Nida Dar getting cleaned up on exposing her stumps meant Pakistan were five down in the 13th over with 72 on the board. The next over saw Athapaththu on a hattrick as Pakistan looked in all sorts of trouble.
The skipper came to the rescue of her side with a quickfire 30-run cameo off just 20 deliveries. Her knock, comprising three fours and one maximum, was one of the primary reasons her side could muster to a reasonably par total of 116. Udeshika Prabodhani, who took the final wicket of the innings, was the third bowler after Athapaththu and Sugandika Kumari from the evening to grab a three-wicket haul. In fact, it was the first-ever instance of three bowlers taking three-wicket hauls in the same innings at the Women’s T20 World Cup.
The run-chase didn’t start off well for Diana Baig, who seemed to have pulled her right calf while running in to bowl the second delivery of the Lankan innings. Sana was the one to replace her, and it didn’t take her much time to register herself in the wickets column. She accounted for Athapaththu, the big fish, who had to depart after mistiming a lofted cover drive straight into the hands of extra cover.
Omaima Sohail got rid of Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini Perera by disturbing their timber, as the Lankans found themself in a tight spot. Nashra Sandhu was quick to join in on the act as her couple of blows were catches to the boundary riders at long-on and long-off, respectively. The fact of the matter was that the Pakistani bowling lineup never let the Lankan batters to fuel their innings by offering few to none freebies.
In truth, the game was all but lost for the Lankan unit post Anushka Sanjeevani, who became the second wicketkeeper to take four catches in a Women’s T20 World Cup match earlier in the piece, was dismissed while trying to go for the big one. All in all, the Lankan batting order could only manage to score a total of three boundaries in their innings as Pakistan Women scripted a brilliant 31-run victory.
Here’s how X reacted to Match 2 of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
Our Girls Done it !!!
Pakistan Women’s team secures a thrilling 30-run victory over Sri Lanka in the inaugural match of the T20 Women’s World Cup.
#T20WomensWorldCup #PAKWvSLW #BabarAzam𓃵 #pakistansports pic.twitter.com/FuwAYsYMkU
— Hafeez Ghazi🇵🇰 (@hafeezghazi5) October 3, 2024
For a team that had a change of captain and coach just months out of the tournament and had lost 11 of the 15 T20Is this year, this is a remarkable win. #PAKWvSLW
— Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (@ahsannagi) October 3, 2024
Nashra Sandhu >>> Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan & Muhammad Nawaz.#PAKWvSLW
— ViQi (@iamViQiii) October 3, 2024
Player of the match Fatima Sana in her first Game of WC as captain. ⭐️ 👏 #PAKWvSLW
— Taimoor Zaman (@taimoor_ze) October 3, 2024
Women’s #T20WorldCup day 1
Bangladesh W – 119/7 def. Scotland W – 103/7 by 16 runs
Pakistan W – 116 def. Sri Lanka W – 85/9 by 31 runs#T20WomensWorldCup #PAKWvSLW
— Mohit (@mohitkardiya) October 3, 2024
Pak Women’s won the first match of their world cup journey 🏏#PAKWvSLW | #T20WorldCup | #BackOurGirls
— Jerry 🇵🇰 (@ShahzybTanoli) October 3, 2024
Hamari Chhoriyan Chhoron se Kam hai Ke??#PAKvSL #PAKWvSLW#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/bulzXVX72d
— Yousaf 🍉 (@theYousafR) October 3, 2024
The captain @imfatimasana slams the door on Sri Lanka! Outstanding 🇵🇰🇵🇰ladies to this T20 World Cup 🔥🔥#PakistanCricket #PAKWvSLW #T20WomensWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ACoUkBZArf
— 🤲Erminio Marini🧩 (@ErminioMarini) October 3, 2024
Well Played Girls 👏🏻👏🏻🇵🇰 Excellent show by Fatima Sana and the entire bowling unit 😍#PAKWvSLW
— Muhammad Tauha Siddiqui (@wakeupsidd007) October 3, 2024
Great start from girls in green. #PakWvSLW #T20WomensWorldCup
— Hina T. (@BeingHinaTariq) October 3, 2024