India defeats Bangladesh in Women's Asia Cup 2026 semi-final and advances to the final

Despite the final score of the India versus Pakistan match in the Women's Asia Cup 2026, held on Saturday (September 5), being one-sided, the behavior of Pakistani captain Fatima Sana drew the most attention. Her manner of sending the player off after dismissing her raised many questions.

In the match played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Indian team scored a modest total of 56 runs. While chasing these runs, Shafali Verma showed determination by hitting a six on the very first ball. However, she managed to score only 12 runs and was forced to leave the field in the second over. Fatima Sana's ball hit her on the edge of the bat and immediately went into the bowler's hands.

After Fatima Sana dismissed Shafali Verma, declaring her out via caught and bowled, she accompanied her with a 'cold' farewell, which suddenly heated up the atmosphere on the field. Fatima pointed to the fielding team to signal to Shafali that it was time for her to return to the bench. Fortunately, the Indian batter did not respond to this gesture, otherwise, the situation could have escalated.

Subsequently, Fatima Sana sent Pratik Rawal to the pavilion with a personal score of 4 runs. She then dismissed Smriti Mandhana via LBW, dealing the third blow to India. By taking three wickets in the powerplay, Fatima achieved a significant feat: she became the fourth player in the squad to twice take three wickets in the powerplay in Women's T20 International.

Although the Pakistani captain dealt early blows to India by dismissing Shafali Verma and others, these attempts were not enough to secure a victory for Pakistan. After the three dismissals brought the score to 29 runs, the Indian captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Dipti Sharma took charge. Both batters played cautiously, preventing Pakistan from gaining further chances.

Dipti hit a four through mid-wicket off Nashra Sandhu's ball in the seventh over. Following this, Harmanpreet hit a six in the ninth over, securing India's victory by 7 runs. Prior to this, Indian spinners had restricted Pakistan's innings to just 55 runs. Shri Charni, Prema Rawat, Shafali Verma, and Dipti Sharma prevented the Pakistani batters from playing freely. Pakistan's score when three wickets fell was 27 runs, but a series of dismissals followed. Besides Shawal Julfikar (14 runs) and Munib Ali (13 runs), no Pakistani batter managed to reach ten runs.

The 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) has reached a critical point where every victory in a test match can change the chances of reaching the final. Currently, Australia leads with 8 wins out of 10 matches and 80% points. Following them are South Africa with 75% and New Zealand with 72.22%.

As for India, the team ranks fifth in the WTC table, having secured 5 wins in 11 matches, which accounts for 51.52% of the points. After defeating Sri Lanka in Galle by 165 runs, India drew the match in Colombo, winning the two-match series 1-0. Nevertheless, to advance in the race for the final, India needs to minimize errors in upcoming series.

The 2023 WTC champion, Australia, started this cycle almost perfectly. After defeating West Indies in a series, the team maintained its advantage in the Ashes home matches. Although an unexpected loss to Bangladesh slightly reduced its lead, the win in the UAE allowed Australia to strengthen its position. With only two losses out of ten, the team is a strong candidate for a third WTC final appearance. Ahead of it are challenging tours in South Africa and India, as well as a match against New Zealand over four test matches at the end of 2026.

The reigning champion South Africa has solidified its claims by defeating India on its territory with a score of 2-0. This victory was one of the most significant achievements in the team's campaign, as it was the first series win against India in 25 years. Despite a draw in the series against Pakistan, the team secured three wins in four matches. In the future, South Africa will host visits from strong teams such as Australia and England.

The inaugural WTC champion, New Zealand, started this cycle late but quickly demonstrated its potential. After defeating West Indies in a series, the team beat England on their home ground with a score of 2-1. Two consecutive wins after the first defeat demonstrate New Zealand's resilience. The team has four wins in six matches. In addition to home series against India and Sri Lanka, it faces tough matches against Australia and Pakistan.

Despite losing the initial series in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh made an impressive comeback. A victory over Australia on their home ground allowed the team to make serious claims in the WTC final race. The home series win against Pakistan was also important. Now attention will be focused on Bangladesh's performances in home series against West Indies and England, as well as during the tour in South Africa.

A romantic series against England, ending in a draw, and a loss to South Africa on home soil pushed India down the WTC table. India, a two-time tournament finalist, has completed more than half of its journey and must urgently improve its position. The start of the tour in Sri Lanka was marked by a brilliant victory in Galle by 165 runs, thanks to Devdutt Padikkala's century and Manav Sudar's powerful play. In Colombo, the team was in a position to win the series 2-0, but Sonali Dinushi's tenacious play led to a draw. Although India won the series 1-0, more points were expected for the final race. Now India has two tests in New Zealand, followed by five home matches against Australia, which will be crucial for its hopes of reaching the final.

Sri Lanka began the cycle with a victory over Bangladesh, but then faced difficulties: a loss to West Indies and a loss in the match in Galle against India. Sonali Dinushi's performance in Colombo prevented a clean sweep by India. However, with only one win in six matches, the path to the final remains very difficult. The next series against South Africa, Pakistan, and New Zealand will be a real test for Sri Lanka.

After losing the home series to New Zealand 1-2 and losing the Ashes 1-4, England ranks seventh in the WTC table. In addition to five wins in 14 matches, its position was worsened by penalty points received due to slow play. The victory over Pakistan brought some relief, but consistent wins are necessary to return to the final race.

The victory in the first match against Pakistan secured West Indies' second win in this cycle, but the draw in the second match prevented them from succeeding in the series. Earlier, the team achieved its first series victory by beating Sri Lanka 1-0. Now they have one last series against Bangladesh, which they aim to finish with a win.

After a draw in the home series against South Africa, Pakistan lost to Bangladesh 0-2. Returning from West Indies, the team...