India women secured a critical, five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup clash at Old Trafford to keep their campaign on track for a semifinal spot. While a sparkling, quick-fire half-century from opener Shafali Verma ensured a comfortable chase in the end, India’s uncharacteristically sloppy display in the field will certainly leave the management with plenty to ponder.
Bangladesh choose to bat first, regret immediately
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh must have regretted missing the golden opportunity given by the Indian fielders. They struggled initially to match the ideal scoring rates. Yet India’s generosity in the field, dropping four catches in the opening five overs, gifted them multiple lifelines. Juairiya Ferdous capitalised on the extra lives, anchoring the top order with a gritty 31 off 31 balls, including five boundaries.
Skipper Nigar Sultana provided a late momentum, striking 32 off 27 deliveries as Bangladesh threatened a 150-plus total. However, the Indian spin contingent pulled the strings back effectively during the death overs. Left-arm orthodox spinner Radha Yadhav, playing her first match of the tournament, turned the game on its head with a superb 3/28 spell. She removed Sultana and Ritu Moni just in time as they looked to break free. Fellow spinner Shree Charani complemented her perfectly, taking 2/21 to restrict Bangladesh to a manageable 136/8. Despite the tactical move of retiring out Sharmin Akhter, they could add only 16 runs in the last two overs.
Also read: Sharmin Akhter enters history books with unique Women’s T20 WC record
Clinical chase by India women after a disciplined bowling
If Bangladesh had any hopes of defending their total, they were dashed in the opening over when they missed a sharp chance to dismiss Shafali Verma. It proved to be fatal. The young opener punished the opposition instantly, breaking the back of the chase during the powerplay. Shafali played with absolute authority, racing to her half-century in just 29 deliveries. She eventually fell for a blistering 53 off 34 balls, an innings studded with eight boundaries and a towering six. A minor slip out of her crease resulted in a stumping by the captain Joty off Nahida Akter.
Bangladesh’s spinners briefly showed signs of a comeback during the middle overs. Ritu Moni (2/29) triggered a mini-collapse, dismissing Yastika Bhatia (23) and Jemimah Rodrigues (26). A communication breakdown also saw Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur survive a dramatic run-out mix-up.
However, with the required rate well under control, Rodrigues’s explosive cameo had already swung the momentum decisively back in India’s favour. Harmanpreet Kaur utilized her experience to guide the team close before Deepti Sharma smashed a boundary past deep midwicket off Nahida Akter in the 17th over, sealing the victory with 19 balls to spare. While India women walk away with two crucial points, their immediate focus must shift to tightening up their fielding before their most critical match against Australia. For Bangladesh, it will also be a tricky situation, and they have to beat South Africa to have any chance of qualifying for the knockouts.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 136/8 in 20 overs (Juraiya Ferdous 33, Nigar Sultana 32; Radha Yadav 3-28, Shree Charani 2-21) lost to India 139/5 in 16.5 overs (Shafali Verma 53, Jemimah Rodrigues 26; Ritu Moni 2-29) by 5 wickets
Player of the Match: Shafali Verma
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