Pakistan opener Sidra Amin has vowed to build on her fighting knock against India after bouncing back from a first-ball dismissal in her ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 opener.
The senior batter struck a composed 81 off 106 balls — laced with 10 boundaries — against India in Colombo, reminding everyone of her role as Pakistan’s batting anchor. Despite her resistance, Pakistan fell short by 88 runs, bowled out for 159 in pursuit of 248.
Sidra admitted her dismissal in the first match against Bangladesh — cleaned up by a sharp Marufa Akter in-swinger — left her shaken.
“I’ve never gotten out that quickly in an international match for many years. I felt really bad because I know my team depends on me. As a senior batter and the backbone of the team, I carry that responsibility — and I like it,” Sidra said ahead of Pakistan’s clash with Australia.
The opener stressed the need for Pakistan’s batters to stay longer at the crease and shoulder responsibility, especially in pressure games.
Australia Test Looms
With back-to-back losses against Bangladesh and India, Pakistan’s World Cup campaign hangs in the balance. Next up is reigning champions Australia — a side Pakistan has never beaten in Women’s ODIs.
However, Sidra sees a potential edge.
“We have played two matches on this Colombo wicket; Australia hasn’t. But they are very experienced and adapt quickly. They have quality seamers, so we’ll need to bat smart against pace,” she said.
Australia’s previous fixture was abandoned due to rain, leaving them yet to test the surface in Colombo.
Pakistan’s Road Ahead
While a defeat to Australia wouldn’t mathematically end Pakistan’s chances, it would heap immense pressure on their knockout stage hopes. For Sidra, though, the mission is clear: stay composed, lead by example, and convert starts into match-winning scores.