Brief Scores: India (139/5 in 16.5 ovs) beat Bangladesh (136/8) by 5 wickets at Old Trafford in Manchester
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India were untidy, to say the least, against Bangladesh in their must-win Group A clash. Yet, despite a far-from-convincing performance, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side managed to keep their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign alive with a five-wicket victory at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday. Chasing 137, India got over the line in 16.5 overs and bounced back from their disappointing defeat to South Africa.
While the result was crucial, the performance exposed several concerns. India were sloppy in the field, conceding opportunities through poor ground fielding and lapses in concentration, while their middle order once again failed to provide complete assurance during a modest chase. At various stages, Bangladesh threatened to drag the contest deep after India had looked firmly in control.
Nevertheless, India found a way to secure the two points and remain in contention for a semifinal spot. However, they will need a significant improvement in all departments before taking on Australia in a blockbuster Group A encounter at Lord’s on Sunday.
India will also have one eye on South Africa’s remaining fixtures, with net run rate likely to play a decisive role in determining the semifinalists. With no team having secured qualification from the group yet, the race for the last four remains wide open.
POOR FIELDING HAUNTS INDIA AGAIN
India may have restricted Bangladesh to 136 for 8, but the scoreline does not tell the full story. Once again, sloppy fielding threatened to undo the good work of the bowlers and exposed a worrying weakness that is becoming a recurring theme in this tournament.
The warning signs were there against South Africa, where dropped catches proved costly. Against Bangladesh, the problem became impossible to ignore. India put down four catches inside the first five overs, gifting Bangladesh multiple lifelines when they were vulnerable. At the highest level, such generosity is rarely forgiven.
Radha Yadav endured another difficult outing in the field. After dropping two crucial chances against South Africa, she spilled two more catches, allowing Juairiya Ferdous (33) two lifelines. Yastika Bhatia also failed to hold on to a tough chance, while Nandni Sharma had a forgettable start, putting down two opportunities in quick succession.
Those lapses completely changed the complexion of the innings. Bangladesh were struggling after Renuka Singh removed Dilara Akter early, but India allowed Juairiya Ferdous and Sobhana Mostary (22) to settle. The pair capitalised on the reprieves and stitched together a vital 51-run partnership for the second wicket, providing Bangladesh with a platform they had not earned.
INDIA SPINNERS STEP UP AGAIN
If India’s fielding threatened to let Bangladesh off the hook, the spinners ensured the innings never spiralled out of control.
Radha Yadav, who endured a torrid afternoon in the outfield, produced the perfect response with the ball. After putting down catches earlier in the innings, the left-arm spinner showed tremendous character to finish with outstanding figures of 4 for 28 from her four overs.
Her wickets came at crucial moments, including the prized scalp of Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty just as she was threatening to launch a late assault. Radha then returned in the death overs to remove the dangerous Ritu Moni and complete a fine three-wicket haul.
Shree Charani continued her dream tournament. The young left-arm spinner struck twice in the final over to finish with two wickets and, in the process, etched her name into the record books. With 11 wickets in this edition, Charani now holds the record for the most wickets by an Indian bowler in a single Women’s T20 World Cup, surpassing Poonam Yadav’s tally of 10 from the 2020 tournament.
Deepti Sharma went wicketless, and her wait to move past Jhulan Goswami’s tally of 355 international wickets continues.
For Bangladesh, Nigar Sultana Joty provided the late spark with a brisk 32 off 27 balls, but India’s spinners ensured the innings never truly got away from them.
SHAFALI TAKES INDIA OFF TO A FLYING START
Shafali Verma once again showed why she is regarded as one of the most destructive batters in world cricket, blasting a 29-ball half-century to put India firmly in control of their chase of 137 against Bangladesh at Old Trafford.
The opener enjoyed an early slice of fortune when Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty spilled a straightforward chance off Marufa Akter with Shafali on just four. Bangladesh paid dearly for that mistake. Shafali came out all guns blazing, peppering the boundary ropes with eight fours and a six as she raced to 53 off just 34 deliveries.
Her fearless strokeplay powered India to 63 for 1 in the PowerPlay, India’s highest-ever PowerPlay score in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup. At the end of six overs, Shafali was unbeaten on 45 off 25 balls, having reduced the required run rate to just 5.28.
Smriti Mandhana, however, endured another disappointing outing. After showing glimpses of her class with a boundary, the left-hander fell for eight when she miscued a drive to cover off Marufa Akter.
Yastika Bhatia then ensured the momentum never dipped. Walking in at No.3, she played the ideal supporting role, rotating the strike efficiently and finding the boundary when opportunities arose, including a beautifully timed flick off Ritu Moni.
Her composed presence complemented Shafali’s aggression perfectly and helped India maintain control of the chase before an unfortunate stumping brought the opener’s sparkling innings to an end.
INDIA STRUGGLE IN MIDDLE, BUT GET HOME
Bangladesh clawed their way back into the contest after India’s explosive start, applying the brakes through the middle overs and forcing the chase into a tense finish. From a comfortable position of needing 61 runs off 68 balls, India found scoring increasingly difficult as Bangladesh’s spinners tightened the screws. The required target was reduced to 33 from 36 balls, but India endured a frustrating phase in which they went 22 deliveries without finding the boundary.
In an attempt to maintain the tempo, India promoted Richa Ghosh up the order. The wicketkeeper-batter briefly injected momentum with back-to-back boundaries off Nahida Akter, cutting anything offered outside off. However, her stay was short-lived as she was trapped lbw by Rabeya Khan for 10 off 12 balls.
Before that, Yastika Bhatia had continued from where Shafali left off, playing a measured hand of 23 off 18 deliveries. She rotated the strike smartly and struck three boundaries, helping keep the scoreboard moving before miscued a drive to cover off Ritu Moni.
With Bangladesh sensing an opening, Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur had to steady the chase. Rodrigues survived a major run-out scare when Bangladesh squandered a golden opportunity following a mix-up between the batters.
The reprieve proved costly as Jemimah broke the boundary drought with a six and followed it up with crucial boundaries, scoring a brisk 26 off 15 balls to put India back in control before falling late in the innings. Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma then completed the formalities to help India get home with 19 balls to spare.
– Ends
