League: Cricket
India and Pakistan recently locked horns in a much-anticipated encounter at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. In a thrilling low-scoring game, India emerged victorious by 6 wickets, securing a crucial win against their arch-rivals.
The match featured a memorable and amusing incident that quickly spread across social media. During Pakistan’s innings, Indian fielder Asha Sobhana dropped a simple catch, sparking a humorous reaction from Pakistan’s Aliya Riaz, who was seated in the dressing room.
The moment unfolded after the Powerplay in the first innings when Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali, on 14, attempted to play a scoop-flick over fine leg for a boundary. She mistimed the shot, resulting in a straightforward catch opportunity for Sobhana. However, much to everyone’s surprise, Sobhana missed the catch.
The camera immediately cut to Aliya in the dressing room, who burst into laughter and placed her hands on her face, unable to believe that Sobhana had dropped such an easy chance. The clip of this incident soon went viral, bringing a lighter moment to the tension-filled match.
Fortunately for Sobhana and Team India, the missed chance did not prove costly, as Shreyanka Patil later dismissed Muneeba for 17 off 26 balls. India’s bowling unit showcased an impressive display, restricting Pakistan to a modest total of 105/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Arundhati Reddy was the standout performer with the ball, picking up 3 wickets for just 19 runs in her 4 overs. Shreyanka Patil also shone, taking 2 wickets while conceding only 12 runs.
During the chase, India faced a few challenges but managed to pull through, thanks to key contributions from Shefali Verma (32), Harmanpreet Kaur (29 retired hurt), and Jemimah Rodrigues (23). The Indian team ultimately overpowered Pakistan, successfully chasing down the target and sealing a well-deserved victory.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.