Vastrakar-Rana record stand powers India to 244 after collapse

The duo rescued India from 114 for 6

50 overs India 244 for 7 (Vastrakar 67, Rana 53*, Mandhana 52, Sandhu 2-36, Dar 2-45) vs Pakistan

Before the pair came on to bat, though, the prospect of Pakistan being set a total substantially above their highest ODI chase was not on the horizon. And it looked increasingly likely that India’s decision to leave out the in-form frontline batter Yastika Bhatia at the expense of the run-parched opener Shafali Verma could cost them dearly. But quick runs from bowling allrounders Rana and Vastrakar wrested the momentum from Pakistan towards the closing leg of the innings.

Spin played a decisive role in the innings from the get-go after left-arm spinner Anam Amin was introduced as early as the second over and she offered a glimpse of her efficacy straightaway with a maiden. Diana Baig continued from the other end and struck in her second over. A slew of five testing dots and a wide culminated in Shafali going for a big hoick on the leg side but she missed the inswinger and lost her leg stump.

Baig discomfited Mandhana with searing inswing up front. The pressure of dot balls mounting, Mandhana, on 12, skied Amin towards the vacant mid-off region on the edge of 30-yard circle in the eighth over but survived as Maroof, who scurried in from the extra-cover position, failed to get close under the ball.

Mandhana released some pressure with a lofted drive over long-off for six in Dar’s first over to finish India’s powerplay on 33 for 1, which included 43 dots. This was their lowest returns in the first 10 overs in 11 ODIs. They reached 50 in the 13th over, in which Fatima Sana had to deliver nine balls. Mandhana, who was was on 29 off 45 at the time, improved her fluency as the innings progressed. She became the fourth Indian woman to score 2500 ODI runs when she milked a two off Sandhu to reach 40.

Another milestone came, her 25th score of 50 or more in ODIs, on the 71st ball of her innings in the 22nd over. The very next delivery, though, she lost her partner, Deepti Sharma, Sandhu bowling her for 40 to break the 92-run second-wicket stand. It triggered a collapse as Mandhana chipped a return catch to Amin for a 75-ball 52. Amin, who conceded only 18 dots in her 23 boundary-less balls to Mandhana, had the last laugh.

Dar was the next to strike, trapping No. 5 Harmanpreet Kaur lbw and crashing into wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh’s stumps. Mithali Raj, too, succumbed to Pakistan’s spin offensive as Baig gobbled up her mistimed slog off Sandhu and India slumped from 96 for 1 to 114 for 6 in the space of 11.2 overs.

All five Pakistan bowlers picked up at least one wicket each. Sandhu, with 2 for 36 off her full allotment, was the most successful among them.