Insects stop play – but can’t halt India in World Cup
Seam bowler Kranti Goud and spinner Deepti Sharma each took three wickets as India routed arch-rivals Pakistan by 88 runs in a Women’s World Cup clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
India, put into bat on Sunday, were all out for 247 before bowling Pakistan out for 159 in 43 overs. The match was played at the same venue where the previous day’s game between Sri Lanka and Australia was rained off.
The encounter began on a frosty note, with the two captains—Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and India’s Harmanpreet Kaur—refusing to shake hands during the toss. The tension persisted until the end, as neither team acknowledged each other, reflecting the ongoing political strains between the two South Asian neighbours. Similar gestures, or the lack thereof, were also noted during the recent men’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
The only half-century of the game came from Pakistan’s Sidra Amin, who scored a resilient 81. Despite her efforts and a 69-run fourth-wicket partnership with Natalia Pervaiz (33), Pakistan fell well short.
Pakistan’s innings saw a confusing start when opener Muneeba Ali was adjudged run out. After moving forward to play a shot, Ali had returned to her crease and grounded her bat but lifted it just as an Indian fielder hit the stumps. Captain Sana contested the decision with the fourth umpire but was unsuccessful in overturning it.
For India, Richa Ghosh was instrumental both with the bat and ball. She claimed figures of 3-45 and earlier had smashed a quickfire 35 not out to help lift India to a competitive total. Harleen Deol provided solid support by top-scoring with 46.
Other valuable contributions with the bat came from Smriti Mandhana (23), Pratika Rawal (31), Harmanpreet Kaur (19), Jemimah Rodrigues (32), Deepti Sharma (25), and Sneh Rana (20). Ghosh’s innings was marked by two sixes and three boundaries as India scored 44 runs off the last five overs.
However, the match was marred by an unusual disruption: hordes of insects swarmed the field, bothering players from both sides. The game had to be temporarily stopped as the insects, including flies, interfered with play. Pakistan’s Rameen Shamim even needed assistance from her captain to remove a bug stuck in her eye. Efforts using bug sprays failed to disperse the insects, prompting officials to take players off the field for 15 minutes while a worker wearing a gas mask fumigated the area.
With this victory, India tops the eight-team league with two wins from two games, a point ahead of defending champions Australia.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/insects-stop-play-but-cant-halt-india-in-world-cup-c-20250974
