Bangladesh Women vs Pakistan Women, 3rd Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Players have lined up for the anthems. Pakistan's first and then Bangladesh's. The stands are largely empty in Colombo and the sun has now gone behind the clouds as the Bangladesh players get into a huddle. Out walk the two openers.

Teams:

Bangladesh Women (Playing XI): Fargana Hoque, Rubya Haider, Sharmin Akhter, Nigar Sultana(w/c), Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter, Nishita Akter Nishi

Pakistan Women (Playing XI): Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz(w), Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana(c), Rameen Shamim, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal

Pitch report: 61m and 65m side boundaries, 69m straight hit. They will play a lot of shots because you can hit through the line. It will not slow down, neither will it take turn. Very hard pitch. Pakistan have done the right thing by batting first. Target around 260.

Nigar Sultana | Bangladesh captain: It's ok but we wanted to bat as well. It was pretty good to bat on in the warm-up games as well. We have been practicing very hard. Did a lot of camps in the break for fitness, skill-wise as well. We tried to maintain the physical health and mental condition. We have a debutant today - Rubya Haider.

Fatima Sana | Pakistan captain: We will bat first. The pitch looks good for batting, hopefully we will play good cricket. Every team is tough to beat in World Cup. If we play good cricket we can beat any team. Three new faces for us.

Pakistan Women have won the toss and have opted to bat

History hasn’t been too kind to either of these sides at the Women’s ODI World Cup. Pakistan have struggled over the years, managing just three wins in 30 outings. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have had their own battles with consistency, and interestingly, the only team they’ve ever beaten on this stage is Pakistan. That little twist adds an extra edge to today’s contest, as both teams look to rewrite their stories. All in all, the stage is perfectly set for what promises to be an intriguing contest between these two sides! The toss and team news are just around the corner, stay tuned.

While other teams will be on the move across cities and countries with travel fatigue likely to play its part, Pakistan Women enjoy the luxury of playing all their matches in Colombo. That consistency should give them a valuable edge in adapting quickly to the conditions here in Colombo. On paper, Pakistan look like a solid unit overall. They have batters in fine form at the top, power-hitters capable of changing the game down the order, all-rounders who bring balance, and a bowling attack that covers both - pace and spin. In short, they seem to have all their bases covered.

13:45 Local Time, 08:15 GMT, 13:45 IST: The Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 has kicked off in style! India drew first blood with a confident win in the tournament opener, before Australia Women swept past New Zealand Women in Indore last night. Now, the spotlight shifts to Sri Lanka - the co-hosts of this grand event. We are all set for match no. 3, coming to you live from Colombo, where Bangladesh Women square off against Pakistan Women. With both sides eager to make a strong statement early in the tournament, expect nothing less than a fiery contest.

Squads:

Bangladesh Women Squad: Fargana Hoque, Rubya Haider, Sharmin Akhter, Sobhana Mostary, Nigar Sultana(w/c), Shorna Akter, Sumaiya Akter, Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Rabeya Khan, Ritu Moni, Shanjida Akter Meghla, Marufa Akter, Nishita Akter Nishi, Fariha Trisna

Pakistan Women Squad: Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz(w), Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana(c), Eyman Fatima, Rameen Shamim, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Syeda Aroob Shah, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal, Aliya Riaz, Sadaf Shamas