Clinical India romp to seven-wicket win over Pakistan in Women's Asia Cup
Dambulla (Sri Lanka), Jul 19: Contenders India started their Women's T20 Asia Cup title defence on a rousing note, demolishing arch-foes Pakistan by seven wickets here on Friday.
India bundled out Pakistan for a below-par 108 after being asked to bowl and then chased down the target with as many as 35 balls remaining.
Chasing 109, Indian openers Shafali Verma (40) and Smriti Mandhana (45) were at their best as they toyed with the Pakistani attack from the word go.
It was an aggressive display of batting from both the Indian openers as they mostly dealt in fours and sixes.
The duo of Mandhana and Shafali hit two fours and a six off Tuba Hassan to collect 15 runs in the sixth over.
The seventh over bowled by Hassan yielded 21 runs with Mandhana hitting the bowler for five boundaries.
Pakistan finally tasted success in the 10th over in the form of Mandhana who was caught by Aliya Riaz at mid-wicket off the bowling of Syeda Aroob Shah.
Shafali departed in the 12th over, but by then, she and Mandhana had already done the damage.
Dayalan Hemalatha (14) didn't last long, caught by Hassan off Nashra Sandhu.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues then ensured a comfortable win for the title holders.
Earlier, India dished out a fine effort led by experienced off-spinner Deepti Sharma (3/20).
India, after being asked to bowl first, tasted their first success in the second over itself when pacer Pooja Vastrakar (2/31) dismissed Gull Feroza, caught by skipper Harmanpreet at mid-on.
Vastrakar struck again, dismissing the other Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali with a short-pitched delivery, caught by Rodrigues at cover, reducing Pakistan to 26 for 2 after the fourth over.
The Indians didn't allow Pakistani batters to settle down as off-spinner Shyreyanka Patil (2/14) packed off Riaz, caught by Rodrigues at mid-wicket.
The Pakistani batters struggled to score runs, let alone build partnerships as Indian bowlers continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals to derail their opponents.
The next to depart was Pakistan skipper Nida Dar who holed out to Hemalatha at long-on off the bowling of Deepti as the batter went for her customary heave over the straight boundary.
It was raining wickets for India as pacer Renuka Singh (2/14) struck twice in the last two deliveries of her spell.
Renuka first accounted for Sidra Amin (25) and then trapped Iram Javed leg before in the next ball to reduce Pakistan to 61 for 6 in 13 overs.
Thereafter Tuba Hassan (22) and Fatima Sana (22 not out) stitched together a valuable 31-run stand for the seventh wicket to take Pakistan forward.
But their partnership came to an end in the 18th over when Hassan was caught by Radha Yadav at backward point off Deepti.
The 18th over bowled by Deepti saw three dismissals -- Hassan, Syeda Aroob Shah and Nashra Sandhu.
While Hassan and Sandhu fell to Deepti, Shah was run out, denying the India spinner a hat-trick.
Sana hammered left-arm spinner Radha for two sixes in the 19th over to take Pakistan over the 100-run mark.
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Akola hottest in India at 46.9 deg C; Vidarbha under grip of heat wave
Nagpur (PTI): Akola in Maharashtra has recorded the highest temperature in the country at 46.9°C, while Nagpur and several other parts of Vidarbha reeled under a severe heat wave, MeT officials said on Monday.
Heat wave conditions are expected to persist across parts of the state's Vidarbha region till Tuesday, as maximum temperatures may reach 45 to 46 degrees Celsius and touch 47 degrees Celsius at isolated locations, they said.
On Sunday, Akola recorded 46.9 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature in the country, followed by Amravati at 46.8 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Nagpur.
Wardha sizzled at 46.4 degrees Celsius, Yavatmal logged 46 degrees Celsius, Nagpur scorched at 45.4 degrees Celsius, while Chandrapur recorded 45 degrees Celsius, as per the data.
Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Nagpur experienced heat wave conditions, while several other districts reported above-normal temperatures, RMC scientist Dr Praveen Kumar told PTI.
The prevailing above-normal and persistently high temperatures over Vidarbha can be attributed to an anticyclonic circulation over Maharashtra and adjoining areas. At the same time, hot and dry northwesterly winds have been continuously affecting the region, he said.
In addition, weak western disturbances and the absence of moisture incursion or any significant weather systems have contributed to the intensification of heat over the region, the official said.
As per the Met department, heat wave conditions are likely to continue at a few or isolated places over the region till Tuesday.
The IMD has issued an 'orange' alert for Akola, Amravati and Wardha and a 'yellow' alert for Nagpur, Chandrapur and Yavatmal for Tuesday, saying that the maximum temperatures are likely to reach 45 to 46 deg C and possibly up to 47 deg C at isolated locations.
A relief from the heat wave is expected thereafter and the mercury is likely to dip by 2 to 3 deg C, with the possibility of rainfall and gusty winds in the coming days, it added.
The IMD grades the severity of any weather system through colour-coded alerts – green (no warning), yellow (be aware), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).
