Twitter Reactions: Fatima Sana, spinners fuel Pakistan Women to winning start in Women's T20 World Cup

The winners of the Women's Asia Cup were no match to a determined Pakistani side who reversed the script in the second innings of the match.

By Rathnam Nayak

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3 Min Read

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
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Pakistan vs Sri Lanka. (Photo Source: Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

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

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Women's T20 World Cup 2024Sri Lanka WomenPakistan Women