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India thrash poor Pakistan to open T20 World Cup with win
T20 World Cup, Group 1, Edgbaston
India 170-6 (20 overs): Mandhana 68 (44); Fatima 2-33
Pakistan 106 (17 overs): Muneeba 41 (35); Deepti 5-10
India won by 64 runs
Scorecard; Tables
Smriti Mandhana hit 68 and Deepti Sharma took 5-10 as India opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a 64-run win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Group One.
Opener Mandhana was dropped twice in an innings where she blazed nine fours and two sixes to set up an India score of 170-6.
Pakistan started their reply well, reaching 52-1 at the end of the powerplay, but all-rounder Deepti Sharma took India's first two wickets then returned to dismiss the final three batters as the ODI world champions bowled out their opponents for 106.
Captain Fatima Sana's side lost their final seven wickets for 31 runs and were bowled out with three overs to spare, with leg-spinner Sree Charani also taking 3-21.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur chose to bat having won the toss, but saw her side reduced to 18-2 inside four overs as Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues were caught for six and one respectively.
Mandhana dug her side out of trouble, but was dropped on 27 at mid-off with India on 44-2 and on 55 with her side approaching their hundred.
The 29-year-old built a 91-run partnership with Harmanpreet before finally being caught by Fatima at long-on.
Pakistan stalled India's efforts for a number of overs, but Deepti and Richa Ghosh hit 38 off the last 12 balls to set a total that Pakistan could not challenge.
India follow Australia, who also won their opening game, in setting a marker in Group One, while Pakistan already face an uphill battle to qualify from a pool that also features South Africa.
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'Outstanding' Sharma takes five wickets in win over Pakistan
India started this tournament looking to complete their nation's collection of global trophies, having won their first World Cup in the one-day format in November and with the men's side in possession of the international 20 and 50-over titles.
They have had a mixed build-up, winning a T20 series in Australia but then losing tours in the format to both South Africa and England since April.
While their margin of victory against Pakistan was ultimately comfortable, their win was not without its difficulties.
Mandhana set a platform, striking positively on the off side on her to way to a 34-ball half-century, but her dismissal alongside that of Harmanpreet put a brake on India's innings.
Bharti Fulmali was stumped for a three-ball one and India failed to score a boundary for 21 balls as they reached 132-5 at the end of the 18th over.
However India's lower middle-order fired from that point, with Ghosh striking four consecutive boundaries in Tasmia Rubab's 23-run penultimate over.
Fatima bowled Ghosh in her final over, but conceded seven runs in extras, while Deepti finished with 12 from nine deliveries.
Pakistan have not beaten India since the 2016 edition of the competition and will now likely need to beat both Australia and South Africa to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals.
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