Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan made an eye-catching post on his social media to celebrate India’s victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the Women’s ODI World Cup on Sunday. “Just another Sunday of Eat. Sleep. Win. Repeat. Team India,” wrote Pathan on X, capturing the mood of Indian fans after yet another convincing win over their noisy neighbours.For the fourth consecutive Sunday, India emerged victorious against their arch-rivals, three times in the Asia Cup (including a final) and now in the Women’s World Cup, continuing their dominance in cricket’s most emotionally charged rivalry.
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At Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, India’s women secured a commanding 88-run win, but the match was overshadowed by tension that simmered both on and off the field. The traditional post-match handshake was notably absent, as players from both sides walked straight to their dressing rooms after the final ball. Even before play began, captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana skipped the customary handshake at the toss, a sign of the frosty relations between the two camps.Controversy erupted right from the toss when Sana’s call of “tails” was misheard as “heads,” mistakenly awarding Pakistan the toss. The confusion was only the start of a drama-filled day. Soon after, Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali was bizarrely run out after stepping out of her crease following an LBW review — her bat airborne when the bails were removed, leading to heated protests.Despite the tension, India stayed composed. Harleen Deol anchored the innings with a steady 46, while Richa Ghosh provided late fireworks, smashing 35 off 20 balls to lift India to 247. Pakistan’s Diana Baig bowled valiantly for her 4/69, but it wasn’t enough.In reply, Pakistan faltered early and never recovered. India’s spinners — Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana — shared five wickets, and Kranti Goud’s fiery three-wicket burst sealed the deal.Only Sidra Amin’s graceful 81 offered resistance, but she lacked support as Pakistan crumbled. With this win, India climbed to the top of the table, while Pakistan remain winless — another Sunday, another Indian celebration.
