India defeated Bangladesh by 44 runs, scoring 145 for 7
(Yastika 36, Shafali 31, Rabeya 3-23) compared to 101 for 8 (Sultana 51, Renuka
3-18, Vastrakar 2-25).
Renuka Singh's 3 for 18 helped India defeat Bangladesh by 45 runs in the first
game of the five-match T20I series at Sylhet on a sultry Sunday evening. India
has won 15 of the 18 T20Is versus Bangladesh.
Except for Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana, none of the batsmen could put up a
fight in the chase of 146, which at the innings break seemed like a modest
total given India's slowing in the last phase.
Sultana's 51, the top scorer for both teams, was
insufficient, as Bangladesh managed only 101 for 8 in 20 overs.
They made a difficult start to the chase, losing their top three of Dilhara
Akther, Murshida Khatun, and Sobhana Mostary inside the powerplay, with Renuka
taking two wickets in three overs and Deepti Sharma one. Pooja Vastrakar
removed Fahima Khatun straight after the powerplay, leaving Bangladesh at 30
for 4. Sultana's five fours and sixes in 48 balls propelled the hosts past 100,
but she had little support as wickets fell all around her.
Renuka returned in the 16th over to remove Rabeya Khan, adding one to her
account, while Vastrakar picked up two, and Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, and
Deepti each grabbed a wicket.
Yastika shines
ahead of India's downfall
With three wickets from young legspinner Rabeya Khan,
Bangladesh restricted India to 145 for 7. Yastika Bhatia's 36 and cameos from
Shefali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Richa Ghosh propelled India to a small
total, which proved sufficient in the end.
After reaching 100 in 12.2 overs, India was unable to achieve 150 because
various batters failed to convert starts and accelerate at the dying overs,
resulting in five wickets for 39 runs.
Smriti Mandhana fell early in the third over when she attempted to be
aggressive and encountered a thick inside edge on the leg stump. Shafali began
strongly, scoring three fours and a six in her 22-ball 31, but fell to Rabeya
in the ninth over when she attempted to play across the line and found the top
edge.
Yastika and Harmanpreet then stabilized the innings in the
middle overs, laying the groundwork for a strong finish. Yastika, who came in
at No.3 in place of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues, hit a few slick cover drives
down the ground, shuffled across, and swept past the short fine leg fielder to
find boundaries and seemed ready to take off. In her 28-ball innings, she hit
six fours and formed two key partnerships, scoring 43 off 31 with Shafali for
the second wicket and 45 off 33 with Harmanpreet.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, came back by taking Harmanpreet and Yastika's
wickets in consecutive overs to derail India. Harmanpreet was caught lbw for 30
by legspinner Fahima Khatun in the 14th over, and Yastika found a point fielder
after a mistimed heave off Rabeya.
Debutant S Sajana was promoted to No.6, and with Ghosh on the opposite end,
India anticipated some pyrotechnics. However, that did not happen. Sajana's
stay was cut short when she was dismissed for 11 runs off 11 balls, while
Ghosh, who had two fours and a six, was bowled out by Marufa Akther in the
penultimate over. Marufa converted it into a double-wicket over, dismissing
Vastrakar with the penultimate delivery and surrendering only two runs from it.
Bangladesh produced a mixed fielding performance, dropping three catches from
Shafali, Mandhana, and Sajana but also making outstanding efforts to preserve a
few boundaries near the rope.
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