Why was IND vs PAK Women's World Cup Match Stopped Midway Despite No Rain?

The match between IND-W vs PAK-W was halted for about 20 minutes as officials had to spray insect repellent on the field due to bugs disrupting play. Before the interruption, Nashra Sandhu dismissed Harleen Deol, who scored 46 runs, leaving the Indian Women’s Team at four wickets down against Pakistan in their ICC Women’s World Cup group-stage clash.

After Fatima Sana won the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side was put in to bat first. Due to recent tensions, there were no handshakes exchanged between the teams. India also made a late change to their lineup: Amanjot Kaur fell ill and was replaced by Renuka Singh Thakur.

IND vs PAK Women's World Cup Match Stopped Midway: Reason Explained

During the India vs Pakistan Women’s World Cup match, an unusual moment occurred when play had to be paused briefly because a swarm of flies invaded the field. The players and officials seemed visibly distracted and uneasy as the insects buzzed around. Taking charge of the situation, Pakistan’s Fatima Sana quickly grabbed a spray that a substitute player had brought and used it to clear the pests, much to the amusement of her teammates and the spectators.

This unexpected "fly break" quickly caught the attention of fans and sparked conversations on social media, with many calling it one of the strangest interruptions in recent cricket history. After the brief pause, the game will continue as per the procedure.

The issue first became noticeable around the 20th over as India’s Harmanpreet Kaur and Harleen Deol were at the crease. As the innings progressed, the situation worsened, with both the batters and bowlers visibly distracted by the swarm of insects covering the field. Pakistan’s spinner, Nashra Sandhu, was seen waving a towel during her over, trying to fend off the flies. Eventually, the players sought help from the umpires, leading to a temporary pause in the match.

IND-W to Put up a Decent Score Amidst Fightback from PAK-W

After a short 15-minute pause to clear the bugs, play got underway again with Jemimah Rodrigues returning to the crease, looking to accelerate the run rate. However, Pakistan quickly struck, as Jemimah was given out lbw following a successful DRS by Pakistan's side. Her dismissal marked a turning point, with momentum swinging firmly in Pakistan’s favour. India’s scoring rate has slowed noticeably as they have lost a few wickets in quick succession. Even Smriti Mandhana, who has hit the most centuries in women cricket, didn't perform well.

The responsibility to reach a defendable total and finish well is again on the shoulders of Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana. Both these players were the standout players in India's last clash against Sri Lanka Women, where there was a similar situation, and they ended up being the difference for the Women in Blue.

India will be eyeing a total above 230, while Pakistan's bowlers will look to restrict India to a below-par total and then will try to chase the target, which won't be easy against an in-form Indian bowling line-up. India has an unbeaten streak in W-ODIs as they lead 11-0 against Pakistan Women and will be looking to add to the tally and remain unbeaten in the greatest rivalry in cricket.