India’s pace duo, consisting of Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, collectively claimed five wickets to lead India to a commanding victory over Bangladesh by 44 runs in the inaugural women’s T20I match on Sunday. India, choosing to bat first, saw steady contributions from captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia in the middle order, but failed to accelerate towards the end, posting a total of 145 for seven.
Despite a potentially chaseable target, the Bangladeshi batting lineup struggled against India’s bowling attack, particularly Renuka’s impressive performance. Skipper Nigar Sultana fought valiantly with a half-century but lacked support from her teammates.
Renuka spearheaded India’s bowling attack, dismissing Dilara Akter and Sobhana Mostary early on. Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar also contributed with crucial wickets, restricting Bangladesh to 101 for 8.
Earlier, India’s innings saw an early dismissal of Smriti Mandhana, but Shafali Verma’s resilient knock of 31 off 22 balls provided impetus. Bhatia and Harmanpreet built a solid partnership, overcoming the challenges of a slow pitch.
Rabeya Khan was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, claiming three wickets for 23 runs in her four overs. Mandhana’s aggressive start was halted by Sultan Khatun, while Shafali fell to Rabeya Khan’s delivery.
Harmanpreet’s decision to bat first proved fruitful as India managed to set a competitive target. This series serves as preparation for the upcoming T20I World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.
Read More :
