Ekta Bisht, a key figure in India Women's Cricket team, might be a late bloomer at the age of 31, but she definitely seems to be the one-woman army when it comes to India vs Pakistan matches. India Women achieved a convincing 95-run win over Pakistan Women on Sunday, July 2, in Derby.
Ekta, the slow left-arm orthodox bowler from Uttar Pradesh, took a total of five wickets from 10 overs, giving away only 18 runs. This not only dismantled the entire Pakistan batting line-up but also destroyed them from inside.
Three out of three for India! After posting 169/9, Ekta Bisht's 5/18 helps dismiss Pakistan for 74 for a 95 run win! #INDvPAK #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/shZu3QVfC1
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 2, 2017
Women's cricket is really not that much spoken about or given attention in India. If talked about at all, the likes of Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and now the rising star Harmanpreet Kaur, make news time and again. Players like Smriti Mandhana, Sushma Verma, Deepti Sharma and Ekta Bisht have not received that much attention so far.
Now, the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 has given them a perfect platform to showcase the skills they possess and the potential they have to take the India Women's Cricket team to newer heights.
Ekta's 5-wicket haul on Sunday against Pakistan was not the first one. Against the same opponents, she had created the same impact earlier this year. Check this out.
Ekta's career-best ODI bowling innings:
February 19 2017: Five wickets - giving away 8 runs - from 10 overs.
Opponents: Pakistan Women
Tournament: ICC Women's World Cup Qualifiers
July 2 2017: Five wickets - giving away 18 runs - from 10 overs
Opponents: Pakistan Women
Tournament: ICC Women's World Cup
FACT: These are the only five-wicket hauls for Ekta in her ODI career. Also, of all the three formats of the game, Ekta has bagged the five-wicket hauls only in the ODIs.
Watch Ekta's post-match speech from Sunday.
"I am glad Ekta delivered what the team required of her," said India Women's Cricket team skipper Mithali Raj.
At a day when the batters failed to deliver, it was Ekta who rose to the occasion, giving her best. However, in the past two matches of the tournament, she did not really contribute that significantly.
Against Pakistan though, she was back to her best. Enough for people to call her India's 'brahmastra' when taking on Pakistan.
What a performance by Ekta Bisht ? Congrats @BCCIWomen for winning the match in style.. ? pic.twitter.com/XRFTBp37FS
— Manoj Tiwary (@tiwarymanoj) July 2, 2017
A great Team performance, and phenomenal one from Ekta Bisht. Three in Three, feels good now onto next one ?? @BCCIWomen pic.twitter.com/Ii4PTt6lgU
— Smriti Mandhana (@mandhana_smriti) July 2, 2017
What an incredible victory by @BCCIWomen . Defending 169 with ease. Great spell by Ekta Bisht & wonderful support by everyone else.#INDvPAK
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 2, 2017
