India defeats Pakistan 19-0 in Women's U-17 Asian Championship quarter-final

During a series of test matches against England, the Pakistan team demonstrated extremely unsatisfactory play, losing the first two matches and thus losing the series. Against this backdrop of failures, former cricketer Bajid Khan raised a new controversial issue, putting forward a new theory regarding field coverings, in which he also mentioned India.

While demonstrating a moment of 'out,' Bajid Khan leveled serious accusations against the English Cricket Board. He stated that when the Indian team visits England, they intentionally prepare pitches where matches last the full five days. According to Bajid, the English Cricket Board does this to maximize match revenue and avoid any financial losses.

He specified that when Pakistan or any other team travels to England, matches conclude in only three or four days. When asked whether a complaint should be filed with the ICC about this, he clearly replied that since it is a series between two countries, the ICC cannot intervene.

Bajid Khan's statements appear more like an attempt to distract from his own team's poor performance. Statistics show that when the Indian team visits England, matches are played with great intensity. For example, in 2025, when India visited England, the five-match series ended 2-2, and cricket fans watched an exciting game for 25 days.

On the other hand, the current series went very poorly for Pakistan. In the first match, played in Headingley, Pakistan lost in just three days by one innings and 103 runs. Similarly, in the second match at Lord's, Pakistani batsmen could not withstand the English bowlers, and the team was dismissed in only the first innings, scoring 110 runs, after which Pakistan suffered a crushing defeat by 194 runs.

Tension resurfaced before the match between India and Pakistan at the stadium in Dubai. During the draw, the captains of India, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Pakistan, Fatima Sana, declined to shake hands.

Although exchanging handshakes after the draw is common practice in cricket, this tradition was not observed in this match. The distance between the two captains was evident during their meeting at the International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

This is not the first instance of such behavior; the Indian team has recently adopted a policy of refusing handshakes in matches against Pakistan. A similar scene was also observed previously when these two captains met at the T20 World Cup.

Harmanpreet Kaur made a statement regarding external factors. When asked about paying attention to events off the field during the draw, she clearly stated that the entire team is focused solely on the game, and the players' attention is not diverted by what is happening outside the field.

Regarding the match itself, Pakistan's captain, Fatima Sana, won the toss and decided to start the game with a toss. The Indian team has already secured its place in the tournament semi-finals and aims to continue its successful run in this match.

The Indian team roster includes: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratik Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Barhati Phulmali, Rich Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Dipti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Nandni Sharma, Shri Charni, and Kranti Gaur.

The Pakistan team roster includes: Muniba Ali (wicketkeeper), Shawal Julfikar, Gul Firoza, Aisha Jaafar, Sadf Shammas, Fatima Sana (captain), Umm-e-Hani, Ayman Fatima, Tuba Hasan, Nashra Sandhu, and Sadia Iqbal.

The women's teams of India and Pakistan will meet today, Saturday, at the International Stadium in Dubai. This intense Women's Asian Cup 2026 match is scheduled for 20:00. The Harmanpreet Kaur team has already secured a spot in the semi-finals by winning the first two matches, while the Indian team faces the task of confronting Pakistan.

Matches between India and Pakistan on sports fields are always highly competitive. However, statistics show a clear advantage for India within the Women's Asian Cup. In all seven T20 Asian Cup matches between the two teams, Pakistan has managed to defeat India only once, which occurred in Sylhet in 2022.

This time, the Harmanpreet Kaur team remains a strong contender. India guaranteed its place in the semi-finals by securing convincing victories over Thailand and Hong Kong. Specifically, against Hong Kong, India scored 193 runs and achieved a decisive victory by a margin of 137 runs. Smriti Mandhana delivered an impressive innings of 124 runs, setting several significant records.

Nevertheless, victory over Pakistan cannot depend solely on statistics. In Dubai, India faces three serious obstacles that could change the course of the game.

The first obstacle is the toss factor. In the early stages of the Asian Cup, captains most often chose to start the game with a toss, whereas in six out of seven matches, the teams preferred to chase the target. However, the pitch situation in Dubai is not straightforward. Although the field looks suitable for batsmen in the initial phase, it may slow down as the match progresses, giving a significant advantage to spinners. In the current tournament, spinners have taken more wickets than fast bowlers.

The question of whether to choose an attack or defense start after winning the toss will be difficult for Harmanpreet.

The second challenge is the influence of spin bowling. The dominance of spinners is evident in this Asian Cup: they have taken 71 wickets, with an economy rate of about 5.1, while fast bowlers have taken only 31 wickets at an economy rate of 6.18. India has an answer to this challenge through the presence of spinners like Dipti Sharma and Radha Yadav, allowing the team to put pressure on Pakistan in the middle of the innings. Dipti has already proven her usefulness by taking six wickets in the first two matches.

However, Pakistan could repeat this history. Therefore, if the pitch slows down, the middle overs will become difficult for aggressive Indian batsmen.

The third hurdle is the hot conditions of Dubai. Despite the evening timing of the match, the heat and humidity will test the players. Forecasts indicate that the temperature during the game will be around 36-37 degrees Celsius, and due to high humidity, the heat will feel stronger. The probability of rain is nil. Thus, the players will have to contend not only with Pakistan's bowling but also with the hot and humid conditions of Dubai. Smriti Mandhana previously described these conditions as being like a 'steam chamber.'

Despite these three difficulties, India's chances remain higher. The team is in excellent form, and an aggressive start from the top order by Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma could be the biggest problem for Pakistan. Mandhana, after her 124-run innings against Hong Kong, gained immense confidence. She has also become the leading batter in women's international cricket in terms of runs scored.

For Harmanpreet, this match is also special as she will play her 150th T20I match as captain—a record number for any captain in men's or women's cricket.

Statistics are on India's side, but the test in Dubai is yet to come. On paper, India is clearly stronger: 6 wins out of 7 against Pakistan in the T20 Asian Cup is the most convincing proof. Pakistan's game also looked unstable, whereas India won both its matches by a margin of over 90 runs.

However, on Saturday, the story will not only revolve around the India versus Pakistan confrontation. On one side will be India's dominance, and on the other, the three enemies of Dubai: the toss, spin, and heat. If the Harmanpreet Kaur team can overcome these three challenges, India's dominance over Pakistan will become even more obvious.