India edges out Pakistan, but run rate concerns linger in Women's T20 World Cup

India secured a victory against arch-rivals Pakistan in their second match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024, but the win was overshadowed by concerns about their net run rate (NRR). After a disappointing loss to New Zealand in their opening match, India needed a convincing win against Pakistan to boost their NRR and improve their chances of reaching the semi-finals. However, despite the win, their cautious approach with the bat has left them with work to do in the remaining group stage matches.

The match, held in Dubai, saw India restrict Pakistan to a modest total of 105 runs. Arundhati Reddy and Shreyanka Patil were the pick of the bowlers, taking three and two wickets respectively. India then chased down the target in 18.5 overs, with Shafali Verma top-scoring with 32 runs. However, the team's slow start and a lack of aggressive intent throughout the innings missed a valuable opportunity to significantly improve their NRR.

India's batting performance was characterised by a cautious approach, with the openers, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, struggling to find the boundary in the powerplay overs. The team's decision to promote Harmanpreet Kaur to number 3, a move that had been questioned even before the tournament, backfired as she struggled to get going before retiring hurt. Jemimah Rodrigues, who came in at number 3 after Harmanpreet's departure, played a steady innings but lacked the aggression needed to boost the run rate.

The win against Pakistan did improve India's NRR slightly, but it remains a concern. With tough matches against Australia and Sri Lanka still to come, India will need to find a way to score more freely if they want to secure a place in the semi-finals. The team's reliance on a few key players and their inability to accelerate the scoring rate in the middle overs could prove costly in the remaining matches. While winning matches is crucial, in a tournament like the World Cup, net run rate can often be the deciding factor in close contests. The team will need to find the right balance between caution and aggression in their remaining matches if they want to progress in the tournament.