Contenders India started their Women’s T20 Asia Cup title defence on a rousing note, demolishing arch-foes Pakistan by seven wickets in Dambulla on Friday. India bundled out Pakistan for a below-par 108 after being asked to bowl and then chased down the target with as many as 35 balls remaining. Chasing 109, Indian openers Shafali Verma (40) and Smriti Mandhana (45) was at their best as they toyed with the Pakistani attack from the word go. It was an aggressive display of batting from both the Indian openers as they mostly dealt in fours and sixes.

The duo of Mandhana and Shafali hit two fours and a six off Tuba Hassan to collect 15 runs in the sixth over.

The seventh over bowled by Hassan yielded 21 runs with Mandhana hitting the bowler for five boundaries.

Pakistan finally tasted success in the 10th over in the form of Mandhana who was caught by Aliya Riaz at mid-wicket off the bowling of Syeda Aroob Shah.

Shafali departed in the 12th over, but by then, she and Mandhana had already done the damage.

Dayalan Hemalatha (14) didn’t last long, caught by Hassan off Nashra Sandhu.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues then ensured a comfortable win for the title holders.

Earlier, India dished out a fine effort led by experienced off-spinner Deepti Sharma (3/20).

India, after being asked to bowl first, tasted their first success in the second over itself when pacer Pooja Vastrakar (2/31) dismissed Gull Feroza, caught by skipper Harmanpreet at mid-on.

Vastrakar struck again, dismissing the other Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali with a short-pitched delivery, caught by Rodrigues at cover, reducing Pakistan to 26 for 2 after the fourth over.

The Indians didn’t allow Pakistani batters to settle down as off-spinner Shyreyanka Patil (2/14) packed off Riaz, caught by Rodrigues at mid-wicket.

The Pakistani batters struggled to score runs, let alone build partnerships as Indian bowlers continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals to derail their opponents.

The next to depart was Pakistan skipper Nida Dar who holed out to Hemalatha at long-on off the bowling of Deepti as the batter went for her customary heave over the straight boundary.

It was raining wickets for India as pacer Renuka Singh (2/14) struck twice in the last two deliveries of her spell.

Renuka first accounted for Sidra Amin (25) and then trapped Iram Javed leg before in the next ball to reduce Pakistan to 61 for 6 in 13 overs.

Thereafter Tuba Hassan (22) and Fatima Sana (22 not out) stitched together a valuable 31-run stand for the seventh wicket to take Pakistan forward.

But their partnership came to an end in the 18th over when Hassan was caught by Radha Yadav at backward point off Deepti.

The 18th over bowled by Deepti saw three dismissals — Hassan, Syeda Aroob Shah and Nashra Sandhu.

While Hassan and Sandhu fell to Deepti, Shah was run out, denying the India spinner a hat-trick.

Sana hammered left-arm spinner Radha for two sixes in the 19th over to take Pakistan over the 100-run mark.

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