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India and Pakistan has never been a particularly compelling women’s cricket rivalry. However, it appears that things will heat up considerably on Sunday, which will please fans, organisers, and broadcasters alike.
It’s not as though the competition, which in women’s cricket frequently devolves into a friendly demonstration free from geopolitical tensions, has acquired an advantage overnight. On the surface, this game shouldn’t even be a fight between an India squad full of superstars emboldened by the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and a Pakistan team burdened by systematic apathy.
In actuality, though, Sunday afternoon’s primetime blockbuster has been somewhat spiced up by the twin shockwaves of Pakistan’s opening-night upset of a highly fancied Sri Lankan side and India’s stunning collapse against New Zealand.
A blast of hot desert air welcomed India as they arrived at the ICC Academy for training just after 2pm on Saturday. The team’s mentally and physically draining defeat from just over 12 hours earlier appeared to be still fresh in their memories. Their manner was sombre, a reflection of how difficult it now seems to get through to the semi-finals.
Consequently, India may not have had much time to dwell on what went wrong against New Zealand due to the quick turnaround, but they will be conscious of the possibility that another mistake may result in their expulsion from the celebration, which they were supposed to enjoy to the very end. By adding a bit of peril to this otherwise routine group match, they may have unintentionally given this tournament—which has seen four one-sided games in its first two days—a much-needed boost of excitement.
Harmanpreet Kaur stretched independently by the side and then engaged in some visualisation while head coach Amol Muzumdar and Smriti Mandhana engaged in a lengthy conversation. After Muzumdar joined the foot volley group, he was ridiculed for his “poor passing” right away. Deepti Sharma and Rodrigues then gave each other raucous high fives after Deepti Sharma’s winning kick caused groans from the opposing camp.
The scene will alter on Sunday. From the laid-back atmosphere at the training facility to the fervour that awaits at Dubai International Stadium. Up to 12,000 tickets have been sold, and spectators are urged to arrive early to prevent traffic jams and lines. In previous games, spectators have been known to show up as late as five minutes before the first ball.
After all, this is an India vs. Pakistan contest that will draw large audiences simply by virtue of those two words. These matches have rarely lived up to the hoopla on the pitch; India has a 12-3 record overall in women’s T20Is and a 5-2 record at T20 World Cups. Even though India is the clear favourite based on those stats, they enter this game under pressure to win.
This competition will serve as a kind of litmus test for India’s determination and faith. Although a single outcome cannot and ought not to determine a team’s reputation, Harmanpreet’s declaration that this is the best Indian team to compete in a T20 World Cup would be scrutinised more closely if India is unable to live up to his words.