Guided by belief, defined by skill: Gaud makes merry against Pakistan

When Harmanpreet Kaur turned to Kranti Gaud and asked if she should let go off the second slip, ahead of the 12th over of Pakistan's chase in Colombo, the pacer urged her skipper to trust her instinct. This was going to be Gaud's sixth straight over from the Khettarama end at Colombo's R Premadasa stadium, and the ball wasn't all that new anymore.

But, right on cue, the very first delivery after the persuasive discussion, Gaud hung it invitingly outside off and Aliya Riaz took the bait - steering it straight to the fielding position the bowler insisted on. Gaud's joy knew no bounds and she flashed the biggest smile while pointing to her captain at mid-on - a moment that perfectly encapsulated her fiery spirit and unshakable belief.

"I told her, 'let me bowl with the slip for now - I feel like I can get a wicket here'. And that's exactly what happened - I got my second wicket. I had that belief in myself," Gaud beamed after picking up her Player of the Match award for setting up India's comfortable 88-run win in Women's World Cup 2025.

Gaud bowled seven overs on the trot with the new ball, her opening partner Renuka Thakur eight, leaving Pakistan seething at 30 for 3 in the first-15 in pursuit of 248. Both generated ample swing, but it was Gaud's clever variation of her pace and lengths that kept the opposition always on their toes. Recognizing the opportunity to seize the momentum early, Harmanpreet backed her pacers with long spells upfront and never had a reason to look back.

Of the 60 balls Gaud sent down, 47 were dots - the most for an Indian seamer in ODIs since 2020 - showcasing her remarkable accuracy. Not only did she manage to keep a lid on Pakistan's scoring, she also struck early with key wickets that never allowed the chase to take off in the PowerPlay.

Pakistan's batters looked uncomfortable against Gaud from the outset. Sadaf Shamas, drafted into the XI in place of out-of-form Omaima Sohail, endured a forgettable stay at the crease before Gaud mercifully sent her packing. Under a mountain of pressure to push on, batting at 6 off 23, Shamas tried to whip the full ball to leg but Gaud got it to straighten a touch after pitching on middle, and induced a leading edge for a straightforward return catch. That got Gaud on to the board after a tight start to her spell.

The average swing Gaud extracted in overcast Colombo conditions in the PowerPlay was nearly twice (1.8 times) of what she did in the rain-affected tournament opener in Guwahati, where India were defending a similar total. In the 16 balls that threatened the stumps, the youngster leaked only three runs while claiming two wickets at the economy rate of 1.12. Among those were two genuine chances that went begging.

Had India not burnt an early review and become hypervigilant about the remaining one, Gaud's three-fer could have potentially been a fifer. Of the last ball of her second over, while Pakistan did lose Muneeba Ali to a bizarre run-out, a simple DRS could have given her marching orders as well avoiding the heated exchange between Fatima Sana and the fourth umpire while the batter awaited her captain's orders by the boundary-line to cross back. In the very next over, after seeing Richa Ghosh reprieve Sidra Amin, a second opportunity off a massive inswinger if availed could have restricted the damage the in-form batter caused, albeit in vain.

In the remaining 44 of her quota, Gaud conceded only 17 more runs for her third wicket at the economy of 2.31. She drew 22 false strokes in her quota - the joint-most for an India quick in an ODI since 2012 (where data available). In fact, the opposition was so tentative against her that only one shot off her 60 deliveries was well-timed or middled.

When the partnership between Natalia Pervaiz and Amin turned threatening and the spinners proved expensive, Harmanpreet entrusted the job to Gaud from the Khettarama end once again and the youngster delivered immediately. Looking to heave the returning bowler across the line right away, Pervaiz instead ended up ballooning a thick outside edge to backward point off one that swung away a tad. After finding most of her success with the fullish deliveries in the extended new-ball spell, Gaud - at the backend - resorted to short and back-of-length deliveries before eventually signing off with an incredible 10-3-20-2 that had decidedly sealed the fate of the game.

Interestingly, Colombo is the same venue the 22-year-old made her India debut at, but a lot had changed in the five months since. For once, the overcast conditions at this time of the year and the floodlights were going to give her the edge. Meticulous planning went into maximising it while also preparing for the weakness of batters they don't otherwise face in bilaterals, all within a tight turnaround. She then backed that planning and homework with strong instincts, setting the stage for India's second successive win in the tournament.

An injury replacement at the time of her debut, and a belated addition to India's home World Cup plans, Gaud is only nine games into her ODI career but is already the second-highest wicket-taker in the format in 2025 among the pacers globally. In England, Harmanpreet's match-winning century denied Gaud a Player of the Match award for her record-equalling six-fer. In Colombo, the spotlight shone brightest on her. Back in Ghuawara, a crowdfunded LED projector lit up the village to watch her play when Gaud herself lit up the World Cup.

With stats inputs from Roshan Gede