A truly astonishing moment captivated cricket fans during the Women’s World Cup opener: Pakistan’s Nashra Sandhu experienced a highly unusual ‘hit wicket’ dismissal. This marked only the second time in the illustrious 52-year history of the tournament that such an event has occurred, with Lynette Smith of the International XI Women being the first to suffer this fate decades ago.
Sandhu’s innings was brief, contributing just 1 run before her peculiar exit in the 35th over, off the bowling of Shorna Akter. The incident quickly went viral across social media platforms, sparking widespread discussion among cricket enthusiasts. (An image from the match captures Nashra Sandhu during play, a video grab of the moment).
This striking dismissal was a key moment in what was a masterclass of disciplined bowling from the Bangladesh team. Spearheaded by the promising young pacer Marufa Akter and the experienced spinner Nahida Akter, Bangladesh effectively stifled Pakistan’s scoring. Their relentless pressure ultimately restricted Pakistan to a modest total of 129 runs all out in 38.3 overs on a batting surface that offered little to the batters.
Bangladesh’s 20-year-old pacer, Marufa Akter, made an immediate and devastating impact, providing crucial early jolts. She quickly dispatched opener Omaima Sohail and seasoned batter Sidra Amin for first-ball ducks, leaving Pakistan struggling at a precarious 2 runs for 2 wickets. Following the powerplay, Nahida Akter continued to pile on the pressure with her slow left-arm spin, removing Muneeba Ali (17) and Rameen Shamim (23). These crucial wickets effectively dashed Pakistan’s hopes of establishing any meaningful partnerships.
Sandhu’s unfortunate dismissal only deepened Pakistan’s troubles, as wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. The team struggled consistently to accelerate their scoring, only managing to cross the 100-run mark in the 30th over. Their innings concluded with a mere 14 boundaries in total, with just four of those coming during the initial powerplay overs. Bangladesh’s expertly executed tactical bowling changes and persistent pressure kept the Pakistani batters on edge throughout the match, highlighting both the exceptional skill of the Bangladeshi bowlers and Pakistan’s clear inability to adapt and build momentum.