India registered 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh to clinch their final spot in the Women’s Asia Cup on Friday.
Held at Dambulla Stadium, lackluster batting display sink Bangladesh when the captain Nigar Sultana Joty opted to bat first and could manage only 80 runs for eight wickets in stipulated 20 overs, India chased the paltry target just in 11 overs losing no wickets.
Shafali Verma and Smiriti Madndara’s unbeaten 83-run opening stand steered India to beat Bangladesh by ten wickets and coast into the final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024.
India, won the Asia Cup for seven times out of it’s previous eight editions and on the verge to win the ninth edition.
Batting first, Tigresses innings never found a high gear as they saw early damage with losing opener Dilara Akter with the scoreboard was reading only seven runs and then lost three wickets in quick successions. After losing six wickets
for 44 runs and playing half of their innings, Tigresses were restricted to 80 for eight.
Eight Tigresses’ batters could not make double digit when only Nigar Sultana Joty and Shorna Akter were two batters made light work scoring 36 runs off 40 balls.
Murshida Khatun, who scored 80 runs off 59 balls against Malaysia in their last group stage match, could not shine on the day when the opening batter was out for four runs after playing nine balls. The other opener Dilara Akter who scored a rapid 33 off 20 balls against Malaysia could stay for only four balls to score six runs.
Diala opened her account with hammering a six in the third ball of the innings, was caught by Chetry in the next ball.
Tigresses captain Joy was the highest scorer with 32 off 51 balls when Shorna Akter was unbeaten for 19 runs off 18 balls.
In fact, disciplined bowling efforts by Renuka Singh and Radha Yadav, backed up by Shafali Verma and Smriti Madndara Indian women just outplayed their Bangladesh counterparts.
Renuka Singh and Radha Yadav claimed three wickets each to demolish the Bangladesh innings.
Chasing to a paltry target, openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandara scored unbeaten 83-run, as they romped home with nine 54 balls to spare.
