India beat Pakistan narrowly in a pulsating Women’s T20 World Cup encounter, but they were helped out by a mistake from the umpires, with a counting error leading to a seven-ball over early in the chase.

India claimed the ascendancy early on, limiting the scoring rate and striking regularly to keep Pakistan to 68-4 with one ball gone in the 13th over. However, a half-century from captain Bismah Maroof and a sparky unbeaten 43 from the teenager Ayeesha Naseem brought Pakistan back into the contest. The pair added 81 in 7.5 overs to set India 150 to win.

The chase followed a similar pattern, with India limited early on before recovering. Nida Dar looked to have continued a tight start, conceding six runs from the first six balls off the seventh over. Strangely, however, the umpires permitted a seventh ball to be bowled, with Jemimah Rodrigues, who would go on to make an unbeaten half-century, hitting her first boundary off the freebie.

“It’s shocking,” said Georgia Elwiss on BBC commentary. “There’s no excuse for it really. Something has gone wrong somewhere.”

The mistake was criticised by several, while some questioned why, if the error was noticed quickly, it couldn’t be overturned.

That was a seven ball over, with the seventh ball going for four.

Which seems like something that shouldn't happen in a World Cup match.#T20WorldCup #INDvPAKhttps://t.co/gf1xmE4OOr

— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) February 12, 2023

If a seven-ball over is allowed by mistake by on-field umpires, why can’t the video umpire intervene between overs and reverse the runs scored /wickets taken?

What would be the downside of such a procedure? (Genuine question.)

The video umpire could extend five-ball overs too.

— Michael Appleton (@michelappleton) February 12, 2023

Re the 7 ball over controversy – why can’t they just deduct the runs scored off that delivery in hindsight? Please please point me to the lawsss

— Melissa Story (@melissagstory) February 12, 2023

Law 17.5 deals with the umpires miscounting, and explains that any revisions are not possible after a ball is bowled. “If the umpire miscounts the number of valid balls, the over as counted by the umpire shall stand,” it states.

It looked for a time as if the game would become extremely tight, with India requiring 41 off the last four overs. However, Richa Ghosh made an unbeaten 31, and her partnership with Rodrigues guided India home.