Deepti Sharma took the second five-wicket haul of her T20I career as India convincingly beat Pakistan to begin their ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup campaign on a high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A crowd of 18,814 were at Edgbaston to watch the two rivals go head-to-head, the highest-ever attendance for an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Group Stage match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And they were not disappointed, as India overpowered their opponents to begin Group A in style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India (ICC T20I Ranking: 3) posted 170 for six from their 20 overs, thanks to the excellent hitting of opening batter Smriti Mandhana, before Sharma helped to bowl Pakistan (ICC T20I Ranking: 8) out for 106.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India next face the Netherlands at Headingley on Wednesday, while Pakistan stay at Edgbaston to play South Africa that same evening in the second of five group games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India won the toss and elected to bat in front of a raucous Edgbaston, and Shafali Verma wasted no time in getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opener smashed Sadia Iqbal\u2019s first ball of the match for six over long-off, but the rapturous Indian fans were temporarily quietened four balls later when the opener was out caught behind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan supporters went wild when Jemimah Rodrigues then departed in the fourth over, Natalia Pervaiz grabbing it at the second opportunity, to give Tasmia Rubab her first ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup wicket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Mandhana began to settle, striking consecutive boundaries off Rameen Shamim in the fifth over to take India to 38 for two at the end of the powerplay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mandhana was dropped by Aliya Riaz running back at mid-off, and she made Pakistan pay by unveiling her full repertoire of shots including a stylish six off Rubab over long-off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her 34-ball half-century came in the 12th over courtesy of a trademark drive over extra cover, while Pakistan were left to rue another dropped catch as Saira Jabeen spilled the ball on the midwicket boundary and also tipped it over the rope for six.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur had largely sat back and watched to this point, but she took India to three figures in the 13th over, which yielded 19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the following over, Mandhana\u2019s fun was ended on 68 by a smart Fatima catch, breaking the 91-run stand, and Bharti Fulmali (1) followed soon after. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Fatima dismissed Kaur (36), it looked as though the Indian innings may drift to its close, but a late cameo by Richa Ghosh (34 off 17) carried them to 170 for six off their 20 overs, their highest ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup total against Pakistan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hunting a competition record run-chase, Muneeba Ali got Pakistan\u2019s reply underway in the perfect fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She slashed Arundhati Reddy\u2019s first ball over third man for four, before Ghosh put down an edge off Shreyanka Patil behind the stumps in the second over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muneeba scooped Kranti Gaud and Gull Feroza slashed behind point for further boundaries, the seamer\u2019s first over going for 14 to leave Pakistan 25 for nought after three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muneeba was given another lifeline on 20, dropped by Reddy off Patil, before Sharma\u2019s introduction into the attack paid instant dividends with the wicket of Gull, caught reverse-sweeping straight to Fulmali. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ayesha Zafar hit Reddy for back-to-back fours as Pakistan continued to score quickly, mustering 52 from the powerplay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Sharma struck again three balls into the seventh, Ayesha (12) sweeping straight to Mandhana with spin proving difficult to get away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The brakes were applied on Pakistan\u2019s innings and Sree Charani had Saira (2) top-edging straight to Kaur in the eighth over as they fell to 58 for three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muneeba\u2019s sweep off Charani in the 10th over brought the first boundary in almost four overs, but she was brilliantly run out by Sharma for 41 to further dent Pakistan\u2019s progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Captain Fatima (0) lasted only three balls and Natalia (7) went in the following over as they stumbled to 79 for six in the 13th over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patil athletically caught Rameen off Charani (3\/21), before Sharma wrapped things up with three wickets in an over to leave her with career best T20I figures of five for 10, as Pakistan were bowled out for 106.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sharmin Akhter steered Bangladesh through a mid-innings wobble with a mature 37 not out as the Tigresses beat the Netherlands at Edgbaston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Netherlands (ICC Ranking: 14) were playing in their first-ever ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup match and, after posting 139 for eight in their innings, they pulled Bangladesh (ICC Ranking: 10) back from 67 without loss to 85 for four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caroline De Lange took two wickets in two balls, including dangerous opener Juairiya Ferdous (50), but Sharmin and Shorna Akter helped Bangladesh to a six-wicket victory with five balls to spare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It marks a perfect start to Bangladesh\u2019s Group A campaign ahead of their match against Australia at Headingley on Wednesday, while the Netherlands next face India at the same venue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After winning the toss, Netherlands captain Babette De Leede elected to bat and Phebe Molkenboer took the attack to Bangladesh bowler Marufa Akter in the second over, striking consecutive boundaries before edging behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heather Siegers took 10 from the third over but her stay was also short-lived as Nigar Sultana took a superb catch while standing up to the stumps after the Dutch opener edged Fariha Trisna behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rabeya Khan took her 50th T20I wicket with her first ball of the tournament, bowling Sterre Kalis with a ball that drifted in to hit off-stump, leaving the Netherlands 47 for three early in the eighth over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
De Leede took some time to assess the conditions, playing and missing at her first two balls and surviving an early run-out chance, but she provided stability as others fell around her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Robine Rijke (13) was caught and bowled by Marufa and Sanya Khurana (1) fell cheaply to Ritu Moni, but De Leede ran hard and began finding the boundary with more regularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nailed back-to-back cover drives off Sanjida Akter Meghla in the 14th over, before overturning an LBW decision on review. But it was 50 and out for the Netherlands skipper as she reached the landmark with a single but was run out coming back for a second. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A late rally from Iris Zwilling (13 not out) and Silver Siegers (10 not out) \u2013 sister of Heather – helped take the score to 139 for eight at the end of their first ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup innings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In reply, Bangladesh made a fast start and Juairiya made her intentions clear early, swinging and missing at Iris Zwilling\u2019s outswinging first ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She rode her luck at times and survived a heart-in-mouth moment when the TV umpire deemed Robine Rijke\u2019s fingers weren\u2019t underneath the ball as she claimed a chance at deep midwicket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Juairiya made the most of that lifeline, targeting the deep midwicket region and striking the ball ferociously hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her partner Dilara Akter got in on the act in Silver Siegers\u2019 first over, which went for 13, and the Tigresses ended the powerplay 47 without loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Juairiya whacked Isabel Van Der Woning for six over midwicket in the seventh over and repeated the trick in De Lange\u2019s following set to bring up a 32-ball half-century, only her second in T20Is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But she miscued her next ball to Molkenboer at backward point and De Lange, who quit her job as a doctor to play in this tournament, bowled Bangladesh skipper Nigar off the following delivery to hoist her side back into contention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dilara was then given out off the first ball of Heather Siegers\u2019 following over, but the hopes of a team hat-trick were ended when the caught-behind verdict was overturned on review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opener was soon departing, though, bowled by a ripping leg-break from the other Siegers sister, Silver, for 26 to leave Bangladesh 79 for three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sobhana Mostary (4) was run out by a brilliant direct hit by Frederique Overdijk off her own bowling, before Sharmin and Shorna settled things down, leaving their side 25 to win off the final four overs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was narrowed to 12 with two remaining and Sharmin drove Heather Siegers for four to leave them three to get off the last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shorna finished it with a flourish, lofting over mid-off to seal victory by six wickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scores in brief<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bangladesh v Netherlands- Edgbaston, Birmingham<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Netherlands 139\/8 in 20 overs (Babette De Leede 50, Heather Siegers 16; Marufa Akter 2\/31, Ritu Moni 1\/17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bangladesh 141\/4 in 19.1 overs (Juairiya Ferdous 50, Sharmin Akhter 37 not out, Caroline De Lange 2\/27, Silver Siegers 1\/24)<\/p>\n\n\n\n