Bangladesh women's cricket team's hopes of a comeback in the five-match T20I series against India were dashed once again on Tuesday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. In a rain-affected encounter, Bangladesh fell short by 19 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method, handing India a convincing victory and a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Bangladesh opted to bat first after winning the toss, but their innings was hampered by two rain interruptions. Opener Murshida Khatun provided some much-needed stability at the crease, scoring a gritty 46 runs off 49 deliveries. Ritu Moni chipped in with a quickfire 20 off 18 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup faltered against India's bowling attack. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav was the pick of the Indian bowlers, claiming three wickets for just 19 runs in her four overs. Deepti Sharma and Shreyanka Patil also chipped in with two wickets apiece, restricting Bangladesh to a below-par total of 119 runs in their allotted 20 overs.
Chasing a modest target, India got off to a blazing start. Opener Dayalan Hemalatha took the Bangladeshi bowlers to the cleaners, smashing a quickfire 41 runs off just 24 balls. Her knock included five boundaries and a couple of towering sixes that had the Indian dugout and crowd on their feet. However, just as India seemed poised for a comfortable victory, rain intervened for the second time in the match, this time forcing an early end to the proceedings.
With rain refusing to subside, the match officials were left with no choice but to utilize the Duckworth-Lewis method to determine the winner. At the time of the stoppage, India were well ahead of the DLS par score, sitting comfortably at 47 runs for the loss of just one wicket in 5.2 overs. Shafali Verma, the dangerous Indian opener, was dismissed cheaply for a duck by Bangladesh's pacer Marufa Akter in the very first over. However, Hemalatha's knock had put India in a commanding position, and the DLS method confirmed their 19-run victory.
This win puts India firmly in control of the series with a commanding 2-0 lead. Bangladesh now faces an uphill battle to salvage any hope of winning the series. They must win the next match, scheduled for Thursday, to avoid conceding the series to the visitors. The pressure will be immense on the Tigresses as they look to bounce back and showcase their fighting spirit in front of their home crowd.
