India Triumphs Against Rival Pakistan Amid Controversy, Bewilderment - and Insect Infestation
The Pakistani team Expresses Displeasure As Match Official Debatably Alters Running Out Verdict
Women's Cricket World Cup, Colombo
Indian Total 247 (Complete innings): Deol 46 (65-ball innings); Diana Baig 4-69
Pakistan 159 (43 overs): Amin's 81 runs (106-ball knock); Goud 3-20
Indian side triumphed by eighty-eight runs
Team India preserved their flawless opening in the World Cup tournament with a comfortable 88-run win against arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo.
Harleen Deol was the highest scorer making 46 runs as Richa Ghosh hammered a not-out 35 off 20 deliveries late on to boost India's total reaching 247 throughout their knock that featured several hitters get going without converting.
Seamer Diana Baig took 4/69 as the Pakistani attack bowled out India out initially in a women's ODI off the final delivery of the batting effort but a first win still eludes them.
Post dropping to twenty-six for three in the chase, Pakistan momentarily fought back with Sidra Amin - who went on to make 81 off 105 deliveries after receiving chances three times - and Natalia Pervaiz compiled 69 for the fourth partnership.
But India, led by Kranti Goud's 3/20, maintained their focus to dismiss Pakistan scoring 159 in the 43rd over and ascend to first position of the group table.
As commonly occurs during India-Pakistan encounters, however, there developed considerably more to it, featuring dispute and uncertainty scattered across the encounter...
Dismissal Controversy
Perhaps the biggest discussion point emerged from a occurrence in the beginning of the Pakistani batting when the opening player Muneeba Ali was questionably given out running.
The southpaw got hit on the leg guard from Goud when the India bowler appealed without success for lbw, Deepti Sharma collected the loose ball and launched at the bails.
She struck but replays showed Muneeba had grounded the bat before the ball entered the frame and a 'safe' verdict by the TV umpire Kerrin Klaaste went up on the big screen at the stadium.
Nevertheless, prior to play resuming, the verdict was re-examined and it became apparent that while the ball struck the wickets and knocked off the bails, the batter had elevated her bat and remained standing out of her crease.
Although the player had earlier embedded the bat and wasn't attempting to take a quick run, the match referee altered her ruling to 'dismissed' and regardless of Pakistan's complaints, which saw leader Fatima Sana instruct her player not to leave the ground briefly, Muneeba had to go.
In a further twist, if India had merely challenged the leg before ruling, the complete debate could have been prevented since ball-tracking indicated Muneeba was plumb lbw.
What do the rules of cricket state?
30.1 Regarding being out of ground
Rule 30.1.1 A hitter shall be regarded to be out of his/her ground if no part of his/her person or bat is positioned behind the batting crease at that side.
Rule 30.1.2 However, a hitter shall not be regarded to be out of his/her ground when, during running or diving towards his/her ground and beyond, and having grounded an element of their body or bat past the batting crease, there occurs subsequent loss of connection between the ground and any part of his/her person or bat, or between equipment and player.
'Tails becomes heads call'
Uncertainty when Pakistani side mistakenly granted toss against India
It should have been clear that events would not become simple in this match right from the toss.
Against a backdrop of political tensions between the two countries, that captains Sana and Harmanpreet Kaur did not shake hands came as no surprise - especially given the precedent set in recent matches among the men's teams.
Nonetheless, nobody could have foreseen that the captain would declare wrongly yet win the toss.
The Pakistan skipper called out "tails" as the Indian captain spun the coin but match referee Fritz misunderstood and declared "heads called".
Presenter and former cricketer Mel Jones was conducting the flip and echoed the referee's statement, the coin fell heads up and it was announced that the Pakistani side gained the toss.
No skipper challenged it thus Sana could advance and verify that Pakistan would field first.
A genuine error and given India won regardless, no negative impact.
Bugs stop play
'Who to summon?' - 'Insect expert' appears as flies stop play
During {the toss confusion|the coin flip confusion|the toss
