Goud and Sharma star with the ball in Colombo to give the tournament hosts their second in two games, while Pakistan lose two in two.
India stormed to an 88-run win against Pakistan in their highly anticipated ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 encounter in Colombo, and moved to the top of the points table with four points.
Tournament hosts India posted 247 in their 50 overs, having been bowled out on the last ball of their innings on Sunday in bowler-friendly conditions in the Sri Lankan capital, which is hosting all of Pakistan’s matches as a neutral venue.
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Pakistan stuttered and collapsed in reply and were put under pressure right away by young Indian seam bowler Kranti Goud, who took three wickets for 20 runs in her 10 overs.
The team in green struggled with the conditions and the weight of the opposition, who have now beaten them in all 12 of their meetings in one-day internationals.
The match drew more than the usual attention due to the ongoing political tensions between the South Asian neighbours, who were involved in a four-day armed and aerial conflict in May.
Much like the men’s fixtures between the nations at the recent Asia Cup, there were no handshakes at the toss nor at the end of the match between the sides.
The toss went Pakistan’s way and, having been put in, India mostly laboured to their total after a strong bowling performance on a pitch that had spent two days under covers due to the recent rain in Colombo.
There was a fair share of grass still on the top, but it was the amount of moisture, through sweating under the covers and the rainfall, which was the most noticeable aspect of the surface.
India’s batter Jemimah Rodrigues, who hit 32, noted at the interval that the ball was “stopping” in the surface.
Pratika Rawal (23) and Smriti Mandhana (31) gave India a solid, if slow, start in a 48- run partnership that came to an end off the last ball of the ninth over as the former was trapped lbw by Fatima Sana (2-39).
Harleen Deol appeared to be anchoring the innings with a fine 45 but holed out to long-on, handing Rameen Shamim (1-39) her only wicket and perhaps looking for a big shot to reach the milestone.
India’s total was their highest in ODI cricket without a batter reaching fifty. Richa Ghosh’s unbeaten 35 off 20 threatened to prevent that stat, and her strike rate left many baffled as to why the wicketkeeper-batter only came in at eight.
Seamer Diana Baig’s 4-69 was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, albeit at a high economy rate.
The innings was also elongated by 20 minutes when the players were asked to leave the field as a fumigator was brought in due to the number of flies affecting the play. To what extent the measure worked was arguable, as players continued to battle the bugs throughout.
The reply couldn’t have got off to a worse start for Pakistan, as they were reduced to 26-3 in the 12th over. The swing for Renuka Singh Thakur and Goud was proving near unplayable.
Thakur was unlucky to end her spell wicketless, partly due to dropped catches and the rest due to lbw decisions that didn’t go her way nor were reviewed by India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
Sidra Amin and Natalia Pervaiz began the fightback with a partnership of 69 for the fourth wicket coming in 16 overs. The slow start was hurting Pakistan, and when Fatima – in at six – managed only 2 off 14 balls, India’s grip on the game tightened.
The fall of Amin’s wicket in the 40th over proved to be a fatal blow for Pakistan, who were then bowled out in the next three overs.
Pakistan’s captain Sana rued the missed run-out opportunities and misfields as she believed her team should have restricted India to a sub-200 total.
“In the start of the powerplay, we gave away a lot of runs,” she said after the match. “In the death overs we also gave away some extra runs.”
India’s captain Kaur, meanwhile, was full of praise for her bowling attack.
“Kranti [Goud] was outstanding,” Kaur said in her post-match comments. “The spinners also helped to get breakthroughs. We created so many chances, but we dropped a few. In the end , we are happy.”
India travel back home for the remaining leg of their group matches and face South Africa on Thursday.
Pakistan will play their remaining games in Colombo, where they meet defending champions Australia on Wednesday.
Neither nation has ever won an ICC ODI or T20 World Cup.
