India 149 for six (Shafali 64, Harmanpreet 24*, Sultana 2-30) beat Bangladesh 109 for 7 (Shorna 22*, Dilara 21, Deepti 3-26) by 40 runs
Juairiya Ferdous and Dilara Akter got here out with constructive intent however as soon as the spin was launched, they too felt powerless. India helped them by dropping 4 catches of various issue, however Bangladesh didn’t have somebody like Shafali to make the most of these. Ultimately, they may attain solely 109 for 7.
Shafali lives a charmed life
Marufa Akter was spectacular as soon as once more with the brand new ball. Other than her inventory inswinger to the right-hand batter, she additionally confirmed off her legcutter, which beat Shafali’s exterior edge a few instances.
Opening the bowling from the opposite finish, offspinner Sultana Khatun produced two possibilities in her very first over. Fahima Khatun dropped Shafali at long-on however Smriti Mandhana was not that lucky. Shorna Akter caught her miscued aerial try at mid-on.
Shafali bought one other reprieve within the third over when Nahida Akter didn’t latch on to a low probability at mid-on off Marufa. The batter rubbed salt into Bangladesh’s wounds by launching Sultana over long-off for back-to-back sixes within the following over. Regardless of Pratika Rawal struggling on the different finish, Shafali’s fireworks ensured India completed the powerplay on 45 for 1.
Rawal and Harmanpreet’s toil
Rawal had opened her account with a classical off-drive for 4 off the primary ball. She additionally launched Rabeya Khan for a six within the final over of the powerplay. However she struggled to rotate strike and will handle solely 20 off 24 balls ultimately.
Harmanpreet Kaur, too, discovered it tough to get going. At one level, she was on 3 off 15 balls. Consequently, India may rating solely 33 runs in seven overs after the powerplay.
Shafali continues to experience her luck
Shafali reached her fifty off 35 balls after which loved some extra luck. On the very subsequent ball, she had a miscommunication with Harmanpreet. It ought to have been a simple run-out on the bowler’s finish however Fahima fumbled the throw.
Shafali then pulled Sultana over deep midwicket for a six. She tried to repeat the dose on the subsequent ball however Shorna dropped the catch. The ball burst by way of her palms, hit her on the face and trickled to the deep-midwicket boundary. Nonetheless, she holed out to long-on in the identical over, with substitute Farjana Easmin taking the catch.
Bangladesh’s regular begin
Ferdous and Dilara gave Bangladesh a gentle begin, with each batters hitting two boundaries every within the first three overs. However there have been loads of dot balls too, which meant the scoreboard learn solely 18 for no loss after three overs.
Deepti does Deepti issues
Deepti struck in her very first over. With the asking price climbing quick, Ferdous tried to go aerial however holed out to deep midwicket. Nigar Sultana and Sobhana Mostary added 31 for the third wicket however consumed 34 balls for it.
Deepti ended the stand by castling Mostary. That triggered a mini-collapse with Bangladesh dropping three wickets in 15 balls for 17 runs. Prema Rawat had Nigar caught at brief third earlier than Deepti bowled Sharmin Akhter to make it 83 for five within the sixteenth over.
India’s fielding woes
The outcome was all however sealed by then. However India, too, have been sub-par within the area, proper from the beginning. Within the very first over of the chase, Rawal had dropped an overhead catch at cover-point to reprieve Dilara. Afterward, she dropped Mostary at backward level. Mandhana misjudged a boundary catch as effectively, earlier than Ghosh and Nandani Sharma collided whereas going for one close to sq. leg. On one other day, these errors may have proved expensive.
Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at Cricinfo