Muneeba Ali braved the oppressive heat of Dubai before Pakistan’s  spinners put on a disciplined show to begin their T20 Asia Cup campaign with a commanding win over Thailand. The result knocked Thailand out of the competition as they suffered their second defeat in three matches.

On a pitch which stayed low, Fatima Sana backed her spinners to do the job by opting to bat at the toss, a decision which raised eyebrows at the time. She stood vindicated in the end as Pakistan completed a comfortable 35-run win.

But, it also brought to light Pakistan’s perennial batting woes as they managed only 119 for 9 in 20 overs despite Sana harbouring hopes of her side going beyond 150. Thailand never stood a chance of chasing the target against Pakistan’s quality spin attack and finished with 84-8 in 20 overs.

There was anticipation in the lead up to this contest as to whether the Thai left-arm orthodox bowler would surpass India’s Deepti Sharma as the highest wicket taker in the format. Thipatcha Putthawong did not make the spectators wait as she achieved the feat with a double-wicket maiden in the second over of the game.

Putthawong sent back Shawaal Zulfiqar on the second ball with the one that gripped off a length. It had Zulfiqar punch the ball right into the midriff of Suleeporn Laomi at point. Four balls later, she got her landmark wicket when Gull Feroza, back into the Pakistan side after missing the Sri Lanka T20Is, was caught at fine leg while playing the paddle.

That over tightened the screws on the Pakistan batters as they struggled to get going throughout the powerplay, which they finished with 32 for 3. Putthawong and Phannita Maya shared the six overs between themselves but it was the former’s figures of 3-0-21-1 that stood out.

Ayesha Zafar was the third batter to fall inside the powerplay, courtesy an outstanding catch by Natthakan Chantham at midwicket off Maya’s bowling.

Putthawong added another wicket to her tally in the last over of the innings. She now has 173 wickets in the format at a staggering average of 9.17 and economy of 4.11.

As has often been the case, the onus of doing the repair work fell on Muneeba, who opened the innings with Zulfiqar. She saw partners fall before putting together a solid partnership of 54 runs with Shamas.

Shamas picked up boundaries through point and wide of slip in her first four balls to kick the innings into gear. It helped Muneeba, who was struggling for breath because of the harsh Dubai weather, settle down. Muneeba often fell on her haunches to gather her breath and, at one point, had to be tended to by the team physio.

Conditions were tough for batting with the pitch playing slow and low, and the outfield being heavier than usual for a T20 game. Muneeba, nonetheless, continued to fight until the death overs and registered her fourth half-century. She finished with 54 off 52 with four boundaries and was stumped off Laomi’s bowling in the 17th over.

Shamas, who found herself in the main squad because of an injury to Najiha Alvi, made a crucial run-a-ball 20 to stop the floodgates. But her wicket, also to Laomi, re-opened the floodgates.

Laomi takes two in an over

Pakistan fans must have taken solace in the fact that Shamas was replaced by their captain, who had been at the top of her game in the T20 World Cup this year. But Sana had a brief stay at the crease. She was caught and bowled, second ball, as Laomi took a stunning catch diving forward. Both wickets fell in the 13th over of the innings. It was the second time in the innings that Pakistan lost two in an over.

Laomi varied her lengths and pace with great deception to finish as the best bowler for her side with 3-14 from four overs.

The average first-innings score at this venue in the women’s T20Is is 118, and that Pakistan managed one more was because of Tuba’s 12* off only four balls. She announced her arrival at the crease, amidst a flurry of wickets, with a gigantic six over square leg. She then hit a boundary through the covers in the last over.

Thailand might have harboured hopes of repeating the heroics from the 2022 edition of the T20 Asia Cup when they beat Pakistan. But they were eviscerated in Sadia Iqbal’s first over, the second of the run chase, as she sent back Maya and Nannapat Koncharoenkai.

Coincidentally, this over, like the second over of the first innings, ended up as a double-wicket maiden, and the two wickets in both these overs came on the second and last ball of the over across the innings.

Thailand needed one of their batters to emulate Muneeba, but they were starved of runs by Pakistan’s disciplined bowling and attacking field sets. They stood no chance at chasing the total down with the required run rate climbing every over.

The introduction of Nashra Sandhu after the powerplay further aggravated Thailand’s woes as the left-arm spinner allowed only six runs from her four overs, she picked up Chantham as well. Iqbal returned for the last over of the innings and picked up a wicket on the last ball to finish with 3 for 11 from four overs.

That Pakistan were able to secure a win despite a subpar batting performance was partly because they played a weaker opposition. But, their next opponents, India, are not likely to provide them much of a leeway.

Scores:
Pakistan Women 119 for 9 in 20 overs (Muneeba Ali  54, Sadaf Shamas 20, Umm e Hani 17, Tuba Hassan 12*;  Phannita Maya 2-34, ; Thipatcha  Putthawong 3-18, Sunida Chaturongrattana 1-23, Suleeporn Laomi 3-14) beat  Thailand Women 84/8 in 20 overs (Naththakan Chantham 14, Naruemol Chaiwai 17, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi 13,  Chanida Sutthiruang 25; Fatima Sana 1-22, Sadia  Iqbal 3-11, Nashra Sandhu 1-06, Tuba Hasan  2-17) by 35 runs

[Cricinfo]