Nida Dar opens up after Pakistan's heavy defeat to India

Pakistan Women's captain Nida Dar has reflected on her team's seven-wicket loss to India in their opening match of the Women's Asia Cup 2024. The game, held at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, saw India secure a decisive victory, largely due to the strong performances by their openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma.

In her post-match comments, Dar emphasized the importance of the powerplay overs. 

"The main thing in the match was the powerplay. If you win the powerplay, you will win the game," Dar said. 

"The difference was the two powerplays, that's where we lost. We struggled in the batting and the positive out of it is the bowling unit - they did well. We have to get together and talk about plans for the next game. The main thing is powerplays; if you win powerplays, you win games. We have watched the wicket and we will plan better for the next matches," she further added.

In the match, India’s bowlers played a pivotal role in restricting Pakistan to a modest 108 runs in 19.2 overs. Deepti Sharma was standout with three wickets, while Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, and Shreyanka Patil each took two wickets.

Pakistan’s innings began poorly, with openers Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali making just five and eleven runs, respectively. Sidra Amin top-scored with 22 runs from 35 balls, but lacked support from the rest of the lineup. Captain Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz managed only eight and six runs, respectively.

Tuba Hassan briefly boosted Pakistan’s total with 22 runs off 19 balls, including three boundaries. Fatima Sana also contributed with a late 22-run knock from 16 balls, helping Pakistan cross the 100-run mark.

In response, India made quick work of the target, reaching 109 runs in just 14.1 overs. Openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana were instrumental in setting up the win, with Verma scoring 40 from 29 balls and Mandhana adding 45 off 31. 

Despite Aroob Shah dismissing both openers and Dayalan Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues guided India to victory without further loss.

India’s comprehensive win sets a strong tone for their Women’s Asia Cup campaign, while Pakistan faces the challenge of regrouping for their upcoming fixtures.