Team India Secures Victory Over Rival Pakistan Amid Controversy, Uncertainty - plus Insect Infestation
Pakistan Expresses Displeasure As Third Umpire Questionably Alters Running Out Ruling
World Cup Tournament, Colombo
Team India 247 runs (Fifty overs): Deol's 46 runs (65-ball innings); Diana Baig 4-69
Team Pakistan 159 runs (Forty-three overs): Sidra Amin 81 (106 deliveries); Goud's 3 wickets for 20
India won by eighty-eight runs
India maintained their 100% start during the championship through a convincing eighty-eight run triumph against arch-rivals Pakistan in Sri Lanka.
Harleen Deol top-scored scoring 46 while Richa Ghosh blasted a not-out 35 in 20-ball innings in the closing stages to lift India up to 247 during their batting effort which witnessed multiple players begin well but fail to kick on.
Pacer Diana Baig claimed four wickets for 69 as Pakistan bowled Team India for the first time in women's one-day international off the final delivery of their knock yet an initial triumph still eludes them.
Following a slide to twenty-six for three during their pursuit, Pakistan momentarily fought back with Sidra Amin - who eventually compiled 81 off 105 deliveries after being dropped thrice - and Natalia Pervaiz added 69 runs during their fourth-wicket stand.
Yet Team India, spearheaded by Kranti Goud's 3/20, persisted with their plan to bowl Pakistan out scoring 159 in the 43rd over and move top in the group standings.
As is so often the case when India and Pakistan meet, though, there was far more to the match, featuring dispute and uncertainty scattered across the encounter...
Running Out Dispute
Possibly the major discussion point originated from a situation early in Pakistan's innings as opening batter Muneeba Ali was debatably given out running.
The southpaw received impact on the pad by Goud while the Indian bowler appealed unsuccessfully for lbw, Sharma gathered the stray ball and launched at the bails.
She hit yet footage demonstrated Muneeba had placed her willow prior to the ball was even in the picture and a 'not out' decision from the match official the umpire went up on the large screen at the stadium.
Nonetheless, ahead of the match continuing, the ruling was reviewed again and it transpired that when the ball struck the wickets and removed the bails, the batter had elevated the bat and remained standing outside her crease.
Although the player had earlier embedded her equipment and didn't endeavor to sneak a single, the TV official modified her verdict to 'out' and notwithstanding Pakistani objections, which saw leader Fatima Sana tell her batter to remain on the pitch briefly, Muneeba had to go.
With an additional complication, should India have referred the leg before ruling, the complete debate would have been avoided as ball-tracking revealed Muneeba was clearly out LBW.
What do the laws of the game say?
30.1 Concerning leaving the crease
30.1.1 A batter shall be considered to be out of his/her ground if no part of his/her person or bat is grounded behind the line at that wicket.
Section 30.1.2 Nonetheless, a player shall not be deemed as out of their ground when, during running or diving towards his/her ground and further, and after placing a portion of his/her person or bat past the batting crease, there follows loss of contact between the surface and any portion of his/her person or bat, or between equipment and player.
'Incorrect toss announcement'
Uncertainty when Pakistan wrongly given toss against India
It should have been clear that things would not be uncomplicated in this contest starting with the coin flip.
Within an environment of governmental disputes between the two countries, that captains Sana and Harmanpreet Kaur declined to shake hands came as no surprise - notably because of the previous instances in recent games between the men's sides.
Nevertheless, no-one could have predicted that the captain would declare incorrectly and still secure the toss.
The team leader announced "tails" as the Indian captain spun the coin but match referee the referee misheard and declared "heads called".
Commentator and ex-Australian player Mel Jones was overseeing the flip and echoed the referee's statement, the coin landed on heads and it was announced that Pakistan secured the toss.
No skipper challenged it so Sana was able to advance and verify that the Pakistani side would chase.
An innocent mistake and since India triumphed in any case, no damage caused.
Bugs stop play
'Who to summon?' - 'Bugbuster' arrives as bugs interrupt match
Amidst {the toss confusion|the coin flip confusion|the toss
