India beat Pakistan amid controversy, confusion – and bugs

ICC Women’s World Cup, Colombo
India 247 (50 overs): Deol 46 (65); Baig 4-69
Pakistan 159 (43 overs): Amin 81 (106); Goud 3-20
India won by 88 runs
Scorecard; Table
India maintained their 100% start to the Women’s World Cup with a comfortable 88-run win over rivals Pakistan in Colombo.
Harleen Deol top-scored with 46 and Richa Ghosh smashed an unbeaten 35 from 20 balls late on to lift India up to 247 in an innings that saw numerous batters make starts but fail to kick on.
Seamer Diana Baig took 4-69 as Pakistan bowled India out for the first time in a women’s ODI from the last ball of the innings but a first win still eludes them.
After slipping to 26-3 in the chase, Pakistan briefly rallied as Sidra Amin – who went on to make 81 from 105 balls after being dropped three times – and Natalia Pervaiz put on 69 for the fourth wicket.
But India, led by Kranti Goud’s 3-20, stuck to their task to bowl Pakistan out for 159 in the 43rd over and move top of the group table.
As is so often the case when India and Pakistan meet, though, there was far more to it, with controversy and confusion peppered throughout the day…

Run-out controversy

Perhaps the biggest talking point came from an incident early in Pakistan’s innings when opener Muneeba Ali was controversially run out.
The left-hander was struck on the pad by Goud and as the India bowler appealed unsuccessfully for lbw, Deepti Sharma collected the loose ball and threw at the stumps.
She hit but replays showed Muneeba had grounded her bat before the ball was even in the picture and a ‘not out’ decision from the third umpire Kerrin Klaaste went up on the big screen in the ground.
However, before the game restarted, the decision was looked at again and it transpired that when the ball hit the stumps and dislodged the bails, Muneeba had lifted her bat and was still stood out of her crease.
While the batter had already grounded her bat and was not trying to sneak a single, the third umpire changed her decision to ‘out’ and despite Pakistan protests, which saw captain Fatima Sana tell her batter not to leave the field for a short time, Muneeba had to go.
In a further twist, had India simply reviewed the lbw decision, the whole controversy would have been avoided because ball-tracking showed Muneeba was plumb lbw.

What do the laws of the game say?

30.1 When out of his/her ground
30.1.1 A batter shall be considered to be out of his/her ground unless some part of his/her person or bat is grounded behind the popping crease at that end.
30.1.2 However, a batter shall not be considered to be out of his/her ground if, in running or diving towards his/her ground and beyond, and having grounded some part of his/her person or bat beyond the popping crease, there is subsequent loss of contact between the ground and any part of his/her person or bat, or between the bat and person.

‘Tails… heads is the call’

It should have been clear that things would not be straightforward in this game right from the toss.
Against a backdrop of political tensions between the two countries, that captains Sana and Harmanpreet Kaur did not shake hands was no surprise – especially given the precedent set in recent matches between the men’s sides.
However, no-one could have predicted that Sana would call incorrectly and still win the toss.
The Pakistan skipper called out “tails” as Harmanpreet flicked the coin but match referee Shandre Fritz misheard and announced “heads is the call”.
Broadcaster and former Australia batter Mel Jones was conducting the toss and repeated Fritz’s words, the coin landed on heads and it was announced that Pakistan had won the toss.
Neither captain questioned it so Sana was able to step forward and confirm that Pakistan would bowl first.
An innocent mistake and given India won in any case, no harm done.

Bugs stop play

In between the toss confusion and the run-out controversy, the match was dominated by one thing: bugs.
Flying insects were visible throughout the India innings, swarming around the heads of the players, and there was a first brief stoppage in play in the 25th over as Harmanpreet raised the issue with the umpire.
She was dismissed later that over but the problem persisted with Pakistan players using cans of bug sprays and wafting towels to try and get the flies to disperse.
It did little good and things only seemed to get worse until it got to the point that play was suspended so a man in a gas mask could come onto the pitch to try a fumigation.
Large plumes of bug-busting spray across the playing area created a dramatic scene but seemed to do little to get rid of the bugs in the short-term.
Play resumed after a 15-minute delay but that was enough for the BBC readers to get their brains into gear to try and create a cricketing insect XI…
Simran, Leeds: Brian Larva?
Simon, Barnes CC: Anil Kumblebee, Snail Steyn, Kagiso Cicada, Quinton De Kockroach, Tick Marks, Praying Mendis
Mark, London: How about Gnat Sciver-Brunt?
Andy, Barnsley: What about Alastair Cookroach?
Nick, Clapham: Surely there would also be a Bee team…
Andy, Altrincham: Carl Grass-Hooper for the entomology 11?