Harmanpreet Kaur called correctly at Edgbaston and, without hesitation, decided India would bat first in their opening Group A match of the Women’s T20 World Cup. A dry, firm surface and a bright afternoon in Birmingham made the choice feel straightforward.
India’s XI featured three World Cup debutants. Bharti Fulmali slotted in at No. 5 ahead of the more established Yastika Bhatia, while left-arm spinner Shree Charani and quick bowler Kranti Gaud also earned first caps. Renuka Singh, the side’s most experienced seamer, was given a rest, allowing India to go with a three-spinner, two-seamer balance. The thinking, according to a support-staff member, was that Gaud’s extra pace “offers a different point of attack in the powerplay”.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, cleared to play after a painful blow to her knee in training, admitted she would also have taken first use of the pitch. She described it as a “good batting track”, though overhead cloud suggested the new ball might still talk for a couple of overs.
Pakistan arrived on the back of warm-up defeats to Scotland and Sri Lanka and, over a longer period, a solitary ODI series victory – against Zimbabwe – in the past two-and-a-half years. Sana, however, preferred to focus on the positives. “We know we have a good bowling unit,” she said. “We need to improve our batting.”
The visitors presented two World Cup first-timers of their own. Middle-order batter Saira Jabeen came in at No. 4, while left-arm seamer Tasmia Rubab replaced seasoned campaigner Diana Baig. Sources close to the camp suggested the decision was based on Rubab’s recent form with the new ball rather than any concerns over Baig’s fitness.
Neither side is short of incentive. India have been tipped to progress comfortably from the group, yet consistency, particularly in the middle overs with both bat and ball, remains a talking point. Pakistan, meanwhile, know that an upset here would transform their campaign and ease outside scrutiny of a rebuilding squad.
Teams
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani.
Pakistan: Muneeba Ali (wk), Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Saira Jabeen, Natalia Pervaiz, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (capt), Rameen Shamim, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal, Tasmia Rubab.
First ball is at 3 pm local time, and a large South Asian crowd is expected. Whatever the result, the tournament should be better for it.
