Pakistan 119 for 9 (Muneeba 54, Putthawong 3-18, Laomi 3-14) beat Thailand (Sutthiruang 25, Iqbal 3-11, Tuba 2-17) by 35 runs
On a pitch which stayed low, Fatima Sana backed her spinners to do the job by opting to bat on the toss, a call which raised eyebrows on the time. She stood vindicated in the long run as Pakistan accomplished a cushty 35-run win.
However, it additionally dropped at gentle Pakistan’s perennial batting woes as they managed solely 119 for 9 in 20 overs regardless of Sana harbouring hopes of her facet going past 150. Thailand by no means stood an opportunity of chasing the goal towards Pakistan’s high quality spin assault and completed with 84-8 in 20 overs.
Putthawong again at prime
That over tightened the screws on the Pakistan batters as they struggled to get going all through the powerplay, which they completed with 32 for 3. Putthawong and Phannita Maya shared the six overs between themselves nevertheless it was the previous’s figures of 3-0-21-1 that stood out.
Ayesha Zafar was the third batter to fall contained in the powerplay, courtesy an impressive catch by Natthakan Chantham at midwicket off Maya’s bowling.
Putthawong added one other wicket to her tally within the final over of the innings. She now has 173 wickets within the format at a staggering common of 9.17 and financial system of 4.11.
Muneeba and Sadaf Shamas climate the storm
As has typically been the case, the onus of doing the restore work fell on Muneeba, who opened the innings with Zulfiqar. She noticed companions fall earlier than placing collectively a strong partnership of 54 runs with Shamas.
Shamas picked up boundaries by level and broad of slip in her first 4 balls to kick the innings into gear. It helped Muneeba, who was struggling for breath due to the cruel Dubai climate, calm down. Muneeba typically fell on her haunches to collect her breath and, at one level, needed to be tended to by the workforce physio.
Circumstances had been powerful for batting with the pitch enjoying sluggish and low, and the outfield being heavier than common for a T20 sport. Muneeba, nonetheless, continued to combat till the demise overs and registered her fourth half-century. She completed with 54 off 52 with 4 boundaries and was stumped off Laomi’s bowling within the seventeenth over.
Shamas, who discovered herself in the principle squad due to an damage to Najiha Alvi, made an important run-a-ball 20 to cease the floodgates. However her wicket, additionally to Laomi, re-opened the floodgates.
Laomi takes two in an over
Pakistan followers should have taken solace in the truth that Shamas was changed by their captain, who had been on the prime of her sport within the T20 World Cup this yr. However Sana had a short keep on the crease. She was caught and bowled, second ball, as Laomi took a shocking catch diving ahead. Each wickets fell within the thirteenth over of the innings. It was the second time within the innings that Pakistan misplaced two in an over.
Laomi assorted her lengths and tempo with nice deception to complete as the most effective bowler for her facet with 3-14 from 4 overs.
Tuba Hasan takes Pakistan above par
The common first-innings rating at this venue within the ladies’s T20Is is 118, and that Pakistan managed another was due to Tuba’s 12* off solely 4 balls. She introduced her arrival on the crease, amidst a flurry of wickets, with a huge six over sq. leg. She then hit a boundary by the covers within the final over.
Sadia places shackles on Thailand batters
Coincidentally, this over, just like the second over of the primary innings, ended up as a double-wicket maiden, and the 2 wickets in each these overs got here on the second and final ball of the over throughout the innings.
Thailand wanted considered one of their batters to emulate Muneeba, however they had been starved of runs by Pakistan’s disciplined bowling and attacking subject units. They stood no probability at chasing the overall down with the required run fee climbing each over.
The introduction of Nashra Sandhu after the powerplay additional aggravated Thailand’s woes because the left-arm spinner allowed solely six runs from her 4 overs, she picked up Chantham as properly. Iqbal returned for the final over of the innings and picked up a wicket on the final ball to complete with 3 for 11 from 4 overs.
That Pakistan had been in a position to safe a win regardless of a subpar batting efficiency was partly as a result of they performed a weaker opposition. However, their subsequent opponents, India, usually are not probably to supply them a lot of a leeway.
Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi is a cricket journalist primarily based in Lahore
