India Dominates Pakistan in 2024 Asia Cup Opener
The disciplined bowling efforts led by Player of The Match, Deepti Sharma, who secured 3-20, resulted in Pakistan being limited to a mere 108. Even though Pakistan came back with a late counterattack, quick 40s by openers Smriti Mandhana (45 in 31) and Shafali Verma (40 off 29) ended the chase swiftly.
The defining factor became evident during the PowerPlay. On a dry, batting-friendly track, Nida Dar decided to prioritize scoring, which unfortunately fell flat against the Indian attack. Contrarily, Indian openers Verma and Mandhana justified their team's decision at toss, attacking at 9.5 runs per over (RPO) in the first-six, dominating over Pakistan's subpar RPO.
Pooja Vastrakar's early strikes sent Pakistan's top order into a defensive mode. Vastrakar, capitalising on her form, removed Pakistan's openers cheaply by making perfect use of the short ball. The powerPlay of Pakistan ended at 37/2, while India made a blistering start at 57/0, thanks to Verma's powerful batting.
Pakistan's decision to open with spin backfired as Verma rapidly punished the off-targeted deliveries with a string of fours and sixes. Despite the captain herself and later, Tuba Hasan brought in to control the damage, Indian scoring kept accelerating, concluding their PowerPlay at a commanding 57.
Thus, India successfully launched their Asia Cup title defence, further establishing their favourites' tag with an unmistakable win against Pakistan.
