A contest between India and Pakistan is never just a game, and when the Women’s World Cup throws them together at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium here tomorrow, the stakes promise to go beyond runs and wickets.
For the record, India Women have bossed this rivalry like a well-tuned orchestra — eleven matches, eleven wins, the last one a 107-run thrashing in the 2022 World Cup. The momentum is with them again, after brushing aside hosts Sri Lanka in their opener by 59 runs under the DLS method, powered by Deepti Sharma’s all-round artistry and Amanjot Kaur’s gutsy fifty.
Yet, as ever with India–Pakistan, the subtext is almost as compelling as the cricket. The “handshake row” that dogged the men’s team has now shadowed the women too. Asked about it, Deepti Sharma dead-batted the question with the calm of a seasoned opener: “We’ll see when it comes.” Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur added her own straight drive, saying the dressing room talks only about performance, not protocol. The BCCI, however, has hinted the no-handshake stance may extend to the women as well. And so, before a ball is bowled, speculation already has the scoreboard ticking.
On the field, India look a complete unit. Smriti Mandhana, in the form of her life with 936 runs this year, will once again be the cynosure. Harmanpreet Kaur, searching for fluency, has the power to light up a Colombo night, while Jemimah Rodrigues and Harleen Deol give ballast to the middle order. The bowling, led by Deepti and Sneh Rana, with young Kranti Gaud waiting to twirl her web, offers captain Kaur both steel and subtlety.
Pakistan, on the other hand, remain unpredictable guests at the big stage. Their collapse to 129 against Bangladesh exposed old frailties. Only Sidra Amin’s purple patch (518 runs this year) and Muneeba Ali’s consistency offer hope. Fatima Sana, with her bustling all-round game, and left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu will need to punch well above their weight if Pakistan are to challenge India’s supremacy.
The Premadasa pitch, usually a friend to stroke-makers before slowing down to tease spinners, could once again demand adaptability. The weather gods may flirt with clouds, but cricket, one suspects, will have the last word.
Twelve in a row? That is the tantalising question. For India Women, it is a chance to stamp authority yet again. For Pakistan, it is the eternal hope of spring. And for the rest of us — the drama, the rivalry, and yes, even the handshake — it is why India–Pakistan matches are never just fixtures, but occasions. (UNI)
India Women Predicted Playing XI:Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani.
Pakistan Women Predicted Playing XI:Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (c), Rameen Shamim, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal.
