How India crushed Pakistan in T20 World Cup opener in Birmingham

Indian bowlers spun a web around Pakistani batters to kick-off their Womens T20 World Cup campaign with a winning start in Birmingham on Sunday.SCORECARD IMAGE: Indias Deepti Sharma celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistans Gull Feroza. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters Pakistani batters failed to withstand the pressure from Indian spinners as they lost seven wickets within 31 runs to suffer a 64-run loss to their bitter rivals in the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.Deepti Sharma, whose five-wicket haul helped India to win the 50-over World Cup final last year, took five wickets again for just 10 runs as Pakistan collapsed for 106, far short of the target of 171 in a battle of nerves in the Group A clash.Key PointsDeepti Sharma claimed career-best T20I figures of 5 for 10.Deepti, who had a lean patch ahead of the World Cup, said she believed in her abilities.There was no handshake between the captains once again.Shree Charani finished with figures of 3 for 21.This is the first time that Indian spinners have taken 9 wickets in a match. I varied my pace in every ball, said player-of-the-match Sharma. I always believe... whenever the time will come Ill step up for the team.

Thats how I play and bowl.India and Pakistan engaged in a military conflict that nearly snowballed into a fully-fledged war last year. There has been a long freeze in bilateral cricket between the nuclear-armed neighbours, and they play each other only in neutral venues in multilateral tournaments.There was no handshake between the captains once again as Indias Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat on Edgbastons slow wicket, but her decision almost backfired when Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues fell in the first four overs.Mandhana-Harmanpreet stand rescues IndiaIMAGE: Smriti Mandhana rallied India with 68 off 44 balls against Pakistan on Sunday. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters But Smriti Mandhana and Kaur, calm under pressure, added 91 runs for the third wicket. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana (2-33) caught Mandhana (68) in the 14th over and got Kaur (36) caught near the boundary soon after, arresting Indias momentum.Under pressure again, India had a 21-ball spell when they could not hit a single boundary, before Richa Ghosh (34 off 17 balls) dug them out of that rut, hitting Tasmia Rubab for three fours and a six to collect 23 runs from the 19th over, getting them to 170-6.DEEPTI SHARMA CHANGES THE GAMEIMAGE: Sree Charani celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistans Rameen Shamim.

Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters Pakistan openers Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza scored 37 off Indian seamers in the first four overs, forcing Kaur to bring on spinner Sharma early. Sharma turned the momentum in Indias favour, dismissing Feroza and Ayesha in her first two overs.Fellow spinner Shree Charani (3-21) sent back Saira Jabeen early, before opener Muneeba Ali (41) got run out by Sharmas direct throw, leaving Pakistan at 75-4. Sana fell soon after for a duck, kicking off the collapse.Sharma wrapped up the match with three wickets in the 17th over.India will play Netherlands on Wednesday, while Pakistan face South Africa.