Play Halted for Pest Control During India–Pakistan Women’s ODI World Cup Clash in Colombo

Colombo, Oct 2025 : Unusual scenes were witnessed at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday during the high-voltage India–Pakistan match in the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup when play was halted to allow ground staff to carry out pest control operations on the field.

Persistent rain in Colombo over the past few days has created damp conditions, resulting in an unexpected surge of bugs across the outfield. The insects caused visible discomfort to players from both sides, disrupting concentration during the first innings. After 34 overs, match officials decided to suspend play temporarily so that the ground could be treated to improve playing conditions.

The interruption, though unexpected, will not impact the match duration. Officials confirmed that the short 15-minute delay would be compensated by reducing the innings break, ensuring that no overs are lost. At the time of the stoppage, India were 154 for 4 after 34 overs, with Jemimah Rodrigues unbeaten on 28 and Deepti Sharma on 2.

Opting to bat first, India made a confident start. Smriti Mandhana began fluently, pulling Sadia Iqbal to the fence, while young opener Pratika Rawal displayed fine touch with consecutive boundaries off Diana Baig — a mix of crisp punches and elegant drives. Mandhana soon followed with three more boundaries off Diana, showcasing her trademark square drive and deft placement behind point. However, her innings was cut short when Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana Khan brought one back sharply to trap her lbw. The Indian vice-captain’s review proved futile, confirming the umpire’s decision.

Harleen Deol then took charge of the innings, cutting Rameen Shamim late for four and lofting her over long-on for a six to lift the scoring rate. But Pakistan struck again as Sadia Iqbal’s arm ball sneaked through Pratika’s defence, knocking back her off-stump.

Harmanpreet Kaur joined Harleen, and the duo attempted to rebuild the innings with steady singles and the occasional boundary. Yet, Pakistan’s disciplined bowling kept them in check. Diana Baig reaped the rewards of that pressure when she had Harmanpreet tickling one down the leg side to wicketkeeper Sidra Nawaz, just before the halfway stage.

Diana appeared to have struck again soon after, inducing an edge from Jemimah Rodrigues to the keeper. However, her celebration turned to disappointment as replays confirmed she had overstepped, giving Jemimah a vital lifeline.

Jemimah made full use of her reprieve, playing some classy strokes — including a pull, sweep, and late cut — to keep India’s total ticking. She also survived a close run-out chance after nearly sprinting three-fourths of the pitch. Meanwhile, Harleen’s promising knock came to an end when she mistimed a lofted shot to long-on off Rameen Shamim for a well-made 46.

At the point of interruption, India appeared in a stable position, but Pakistan’s bowlers had kept the scoring in check. With Jemimah set and power-hitter Richa Ghosh yet to bat, India will look to push for a competitive total once play resumes.

Brief Scores:
India 154/4 in 34 overs (Harleen Deol 46, Jemimah Rodrigues 28; Rameen Shamim 1/21, Fatima Sana Khan 1/30) vs Pakistan.*