Colombo |Harleen Deol's composed 46-run knock and Richa Ghosh's spirited late cameo of 35 lifted India to a respectable 247 after Indian batters struggled to get going on a slow track in their World Cup clash against Pakistan here Sunday.
Deol's 65-ball knock provided some stability in the middle overs, while Ghosh's quickfire 20-ball effort pushed India near the 250-run mark.
Sent in to bat after the match referee erroneously ruled the toss in Pakistan's favour, India's top order faltered on a sluggish surface in a stop-start game that even saw interruptions for fumigation.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur did not shake hands with her Pakistan counterpart Fatima Sana during the toss, continuing the trend set by the indian men's team during their victorious Asia Cup campaign.
There were also several close calls and mix-ups in the middle that further disrupted momentum.
Opener Pratika Rawal (31) gave India a brisk start, smashing Diana Baig for three consecutive fours, but star batter Smriti Mandhana (23) once again fell inside the powerplay, putting the top order under early pressure.
After surviving an unsuccessful leg-before appeal off Baig, Mandhana was bowled in the 10th over by skipper Fatima Sana, who found the gap to rattle the leg stump.
The disciplined Pakistan bowlers kept the batters on a leash with tight lines and clever variations in pace, denying them any rhythm and chipping away at regular intervals.
Pacers Baig (4/69) and Sana (2/38) did the maximum damage, sharing six wickets between them.
Rawal was next to go, her attempted cut shot brushing the top of the off stump.
Deol showed composure, stitching together a 39-run stand with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (19) and then added 45 with Jemimah Rodrigues (32).
However, Harmanpreet fell to an inside edge just when she looked set, while Harleen, after doing the hard work by playing herself in, squandered the chance to push on in attempt to hit a boundary.
Jemimah, who had an early reprieve on two after being caught off a no-ball, was the next to depart for 32 as Pakistan maintained relentless pressure.
Towards the end, the experienced pair of Deepti Sharma (25) and Sneh Rana (20) steadied the innings with a 42-run partnership.
But just as India looked poised for a late flourish, Sana and Baig returned in the death overs to dismiss both and snuff out any hopes of a strong finish.
Pakistan choked India in the death overs by picking five wickets but Richa broke the shackles, hitting three fours, including an audacious sweep, and a couple of sixes.
