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 that featured an insect invasion, a controversial dismissal — and no handshakes.
The match was played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the same venue where the previous day’s match between Sri Lanka and Australia was rained off. Batting first, India were all out for 247 on Sunday before dismissing Pakistan for 159 off 43 overs.
The game started frostily as the two captains, Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and India’s Harmanpreet Kaur, did not shake hands during the toss. It ended similarly, with both teams avoiding acknowledging each other, reflecting the ongoing political tensions between the two South Asian neighbors. The captains had taken the same path at the recent men’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
The only half-century of the match came from Pakistan’s Sidra Amin, who scored 81 runs. However, despite her efforts and a 69-run fourth-wicket partnership with Natalia Pervaiz (33), Pakistan fell well short of the target.
Pakistan’s innings was marred by a confusing dismissal when opener Muneeba Ali was adjudged run out. Ali had grounded her bat after returning to her crease, having moved forward to play a shot. However, she lifted her bat when an Indian fielder hit the stumps. Captain Fatima Sana argued with the fourth umpire but could not overturn the decision, as Ali had not been attempting a run.
For India, Richa Ghosh returned impressive bowling figures of 3-45. She had earlier played a quickfire 35 not out to boost India to a competitive total. Harleen Deol laid the foundation by top-scoring with 46 runs, while Smriti Mandhana (23), Pratika Rawal (31), Harmanpreet Kaur (19), Jemimah Rodrigues (32), Deepti Sharma (25), and Sneh Rana (20) all contributed valuable runs. Ghosh’s innings included two sixes and three boundaries as India scored 44 runs off the last five overs.
The match was notably disrupted by swarms of insects that plagued both teams. At one point, play was stopped because the bugs were bothering all players. Pakistan’s Rameen Shamim even needed assistance from her captain to remove a bug that appeared stuck in her eye. Players from Pakistan tried using bug sprays to disperse the insects, but the problem persisted until the teams were brought off the field for 15 minutes. A man wearing a gas mask then fumigated the area to clear the infestation.
With this victory, India now top the eight-team league with two wins from two games, sitting 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
