The fourth match of the 12th edition of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be played between India and Pakistan on March 6 at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Both the teams have registered two wins in as many warm-up matches they played ahead of the World Cup.
Match preview
Head to Head
India and Pakistan have played 10 ODI matches (2005 – 2017) against each other and India have won all of them.
Squads
India: Mithali Raj (C), Harmanpreet Kaur (VC), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia (WK), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav
Pakistan: Bismah Maroof (C), Nida Dar (VC), Aiman Anwer, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz
Players to watch out for
Smriti Mandhana:
India’s elegant opening batter will be a player to watch out for going into the World Cup. She struck her 20th half-century in her last ODI before the World Cup in New Zealand and is looking good. Overall records suggest that she has registered 2461 runs in 64 ODIs, including four centuries. India will want this southpaw to give them a solid start during the World Cup.
Deepti Sharma:
She is one of the best all-rounders in the Indian team. She is a left-handed middle order batter and a right arm off-spinner. Though a middle order bat, she has the ability to bat at the top of the order and even open the innings. She was the leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded New Zealand series as she finished with 10 wickets in five ODIs. Overall, she has recorded 1720 runs and picked up 79 wickets in 69 ODIs.
Nida Dar:
This Pakistan cricketer is one of the finest bowling all-rounders in the world. She is a right handed batter and a right arm off spinner. She has featured in 84 ODIs for Pakistan and has mustered 1290 runs in 76 innings, including right half-centuries. The wily spinner has 74 wickets in 83 innings, including the best of 4-15. She is a wicket-taking bowler.
Fatima Sana:
She is a good young all-rounder, who made her international debut for Pakistan in 2019. She has played 15 ODIs. The right handed batter has scored 133 runs, including the best of 28 not out. With the ball, she has 21 wickets, bowling right arm seam.
Pitch
The last match that was played here, which was a part of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, saw more than 500 runs being scored. The wicket seems to be good for batting and the outfield is quick too. Seamers picked up 10 wickets, while spinners struck with five wickets in the last match. The venue will offer an exciting contest between bat and ball.
Weather
The weather is expected to be pleasant with intervals of clouds and sunshine. The average temperature will be around 24 degrees Celsius, with 25 percent chance of precipitation and 69 percent cloud cover. The wind will blow from the east-northeast.
Fantasy playing XI
Richa Ghosh, Javeria Khan, Mithali Raj, Nahida Khan, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Nida Dar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Jhulan Goswami
Match Details
Date: March 6, 2022
Time: 6.30 am IST
Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Live streaming: Star Sports, Disney + Hotstar
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I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.