Putthawong reaches a major milestone

Thailand’s left-arm spinner Thipatcha Putthawong entered the match with the chance to become the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, moving past India’s Deepti Sharma. She achieved the landmark almost immediately. Putthawong produced a double-wicket maiden in the second over of Pakistan’s innings.

She first dismissed Shawaal Zulfiqar with the second delivery. The ball gripped the surface after pitching and forced Zulfiqar to mistime a punch towards point, where Suleeporn Laomi took the catch. Four deliveries later, Putthawong claimed the record-breaking wicket. Gull Feroza, who returned to the Pakistan team after missing the Sri Lanka T20Is, attempted a paddle shot but was caught at fine leg.

Putthawong’s excellent over put Pakistan under pressure early. Pakistan ended the powerplay on 32 for 3 as their batters struggled to score freely. Putthawong and Phannita Maya bowled all six powerplay overs between them. Putthawong was particularly impressive, finishing her opening spell with 1 for 21 from three overs.

Ayesha Zafar became the third Pakistan batter to fall during the powerplay. Natthakan Chantham produced an excellent catch at midwicket off Maya’s bowling. Putthawong later added another wicket during the final over of Pakistan’s innings. She now has 173 wickets in women’s T20 cricket, with an outstanding bowling average of 9.17 and an economy rate of 4.11.

Muneeba and Shamas rebuild the innings

With Pakistan losing wickets early, Muneeba Ali once again had to take responsibility for rebuilding the innings. She had opened alongside Zulfiqar but watched several teammates return to the pavilion before finding an important partnership with Sadaf Shamas. The pair added 54 runs to stabilize Pakistan’s innings.

Shamas immediately looked positive. She struck boundaries through point and behind slip during her first four deliveries. Her aggressive start helped Muneeba settle after struggling with the extreme Dubai conditions.

Muneeba repeatedly bent down on her haunches to catch her breath because of the heat. At one stage, the Pakistan team physio also had to attend to her. The conditions made batting even more difficult. The pitch was slow and low, while the outfield was heavier than normal for a T20 match. Despite those challenges, Muneeba continued to battle through the innings.

She eventually completed her fourth T20I half-century. Muneeba scored 54 from 52 deliveries, hitting four boundaries. Her innings ended in the 17th over when Laomi stumped her.

Shamas also played a valuable role after being included in the main squad because of Najiha Alvi’s injury. She scored a crucial 20 from 20 balls and prevented Pakistan from collapsing completely. However, her dismissal by Laomi once again exposed Pakistan’s lower order.

Laomi strikes twice in one over

Pakistan supporters would have hoped that Fatima Sana could provide the late acceleration. The captain had enjoyed an excellent run of form during the T20 World Cup earlier this year. However, Sana could not stay long at the crease.

Laomi dismissed her with the second delivery she faced. Sana was caught and bowled after Laomi reacted brilliantly and completed a difficult diving catch while moving forward.

Both Shamas and Sana were dismissed in the 13th over. It was the second occasion in Pakistan’s innings when they lost two wickets in the same over. Laomi remained Thailand’s most successful bowler. She constantly changed her pace and lengths and finished with excellent figures of 3 for 14 from four overs.

Tuba Hasan provides late boost

Pakistan’s final score was only slightly above the average first-innings total at the venue. The average score in women’s T20Is at the ground is 118. Tuba Hasan helped Pakistan move beyond that mark with a quick unbeaten 12 from just four deliveries.

She made an immediate impact by smashing a huge six over square leg after arriving at the crease during a period of frequent wickets. She then added a boundary through the covers in the final over. Her short but powerful contribution helped Pakistan reach 119/9.

Sadia Iqbal destroys Thailand’s chase

Thailand may have hoped to repeat their famous performance from the 2022 T20 Asia Cup, when they defeated Pakistan. However, those hopes disappeared quickly during the run chase. Sadia Iqbal made a major impact in her first over, which was the second over of Thailand’s innings. She removed Phannita Maya and Nannapat Koncharoenkai to produce another double-wicket maiden.

Interestingly, the second over of both innings produced double-wicket maidens. In both cases, the wickets came from the second and final deliveries of the over. Thailand needed a batter to produce an innings similar to Muneeba’s, but Pakistan gave them very little opportunity to score. The Pakistani bowlers maintained tight lines and used attacking field placements to keep the pressure on.

As the required run rate continued to rise, Thailand’s chances of chasing 120 became increasingly remote. Pakistan introduced Nashra Sandhu after the powerplay, and the left-arm spinner made Thailand’s task even harder. Sandhu conceded just six runs from her four overs and also dismissed Chantham.

Sadia returned for the final over and claimed another wicket from the last delivery. She finished with outstanding figures of 3 for 11 from four overs. Pakistan eventually restricted Thailand to 84 for 8 and completed a comfortable 35-run victory.

India challenge awaits Pakistan

Pakistan’s disciplined bowling helped them overcome a disappointing batting display. However, their success was also aided by the fact that they faced a weaker Thailand side.

The next challenge will be much tougher. Pakistan are set to face India, and they are unlikely to receive the same amount of breathing room against a stronger opponent. The match against India will therefore provide a much clearer test of Pakistan’s batting strength and their ability to compete against one of the tournament’s leading teams.

Brief Scorecard