Mandhana goes inside-out to unravel Pakistan's perfect start

On the scorecard, it will be marked as 64 runs – the massive margin that separated India and Pakistan on the World Cup Sunday. For most parts of the match, the gulf wasn't as wide. In fact, for the first nine overs, Pakistan had the upper hand.

And then, Smriti Mandhana stepped out of her crease.

She made room and lofted Tasmia Rubab's left-arm swing over long off for a six. That shot seized Pakistan's grip from their World Cup opener.

To reduce a 37-over game to one solitary moment might seem a stretch, but the moment Mandhana asserted her intent, panic set in and Pakistan started second-guessing their plans.

Till then, they had rationed their run-leak with discipline. Taking advantage of the long boundary, bowlers kept varying pace. After the early dismissals of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur treaded with caution. By the end of the ninth over, India were still cantering at run-a-ball.

Mandhana took charge. The one mercy came when Aliya Riaz failed to position herself for a simple catch in the eighth over. Pakistan's spin trio – Nashra Sandhu, Rameen Shamim and Sadia Iqbal – invited her to swing legside, but Mandhana instead made room and lofted them inside-out.

Attempts to hit over the ropes didn't always yield results, but in three overs, India picked up 39 runs and completely flipped the momentum.

This slip-up by Pakistan wasn't a one-off – it's a pattern when they've found themselves in rare positions of dominance.

Wahab Riaz, the Pakistan head coach, said after the drinks break: "In a Pakistan-India game, you have to keep your calm. After the powerplay, the way the Indian batters batted, it happens. One-odd partnership does take place in T20 cricket."

Mandhana eventually walked into a trap, stepping out and offering Sana a comfortable catch. At 109 for 3 in the 14th over, Pakistan had a chance to claw back. They did briefly, but Richa Ghosh's death-hitting masterclass powered India to 170 for 6.

In the chase, Pakistan's powerplay showed promise – 52 for 1 – before old habits resurfaced. Zafar's sweep was caught by Mandhana at short fine leg, and Pakistan's momentum fizzled away.

Deepti and Shree Charani piled on pressure. Dot balls piled up, the required rate shot up, and Pakistan's challenge crumbled.

For India, it showcased tenacity to wriggle out of a challenging position. For Pakistan, they competed as the better side for at least 15 out of 40 overs. But the 64-run margin won't look the other way when Net Run Rate matters.