Harmanpreet, spinners help India beat B’desh by 7 wickets
These were after the India bowlers set it up perfectly for the batters, who had to hardly break a sweat while chasing an easy target.
MIRPUR: Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur began the new international season with a smashing half-century as the India women’s team cantered to a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the opening T20I here on Sunday.
Opting to bowl first, India, whose spinners used the conditions to their advantage, restricted Bangladesh to a meagre 114 for five. In the second essay, Harmanpreet (54 not out off 35 balls, 6 fours, 2 sixes) and her deputy Smriti Mandhana (38 off 34 balls, 5 fours) added 70 runs for the third wicket to chase the target down in just 16.2 overs.
The India skipper made best use of the two reprieves she got off left-arm spinner Nahida Akter’s bowling. Mandhana was the pace-setter as the southpaw hit some delectable boundaries, including a rasping square cut off pacer Marufa Akter and an inside out lofted cover-drive.
These were after the India bowlers set it up perfectly for the batters, who had to hardly break a sweat while chasing an easy target.
The spin attack, led by the experienced Deepti Sharma (0/14 off 4 overs), and also including two debutants – left-arm spinner B Anusha (0/24 off 4 overs) and off-break bowler Minnu Mani (1/21 off 3 overs) – executed its plans to perfection.
Leg-spinner Shafali Verma (1/18 off 3 overs) was also mostly on target, save a six that top-scorer Shorna Akter (28 not out off 28 balls, 2 sixes) hit off her bowling, while pacer Pooja Vastrakar (1/16 off 4 overs) had set the tone.
BRIEF SCORES: Bangladesh Women 114/5 in 20 overs lost to India Women 118/3 in 16.2 overs (Harmanpreet 54*, S Mandhana 38, Sultana 2/25)
