MATCH REPORT
Follow UsIndia registered a comprehensive 110-run win against Bangladesh in the league match of the ICC Women's World Cup at Seddon Park in Hamilton. After a hiccup against Australia in the last game, the Women in Blue bounced back in a commanding fashion to record an empathic win and inch closer to a place in the semi-finals of the side.
While the weather forecast in Hamilton did not look great for this encounter, the sun was shining in the morning of this crucial clash featuring the neighboring nations.
After electing to bat first on a sluggish wicket, the Women in Blue got off to a steady start as Smriti Mandhana, and Shafali Verma forged a crucial 74-run stand for the first wicket. While the right-handed batter was the aggressor of the two, Mandhana played some sublime strokes all around the ground before being dismissed for 30 to a short-pitched delivery.
The wicket caused a mini-collapse as the Indian team lost three wickets without scoring a solitary run as Shafali was dismissed for 42 runs trying to push at a delivery outside the off-stump.
With twin blows, all eyes were on Mithali Raj and Yastika Bhatia to steady the innings and help the team crawl their way out of these early jitters. However, the skipper was dismissed for a golden duck, her second in the history of ODI cricket to derail the progress of the Indian side.
Despite three wickets in quick succession, Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika consolidated the innings with a 34-run stand before the vice-captain was dismissed trying for a non-existent single.
With 108 runs on the board and four wickets down, the onus of the side replied heavily on youngsters Yastika and Richa Ghosh to bail the team out of this must-win clash.
The duo stitched a 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket to lead India's fightback and lay a foundation to launch an attack in the back end of the innings.
However, the Women in Blue lost the wicket of Ghosh along with Yastika shortly after reaching her half-century to dent India's progress. Displaying an array of strokes all around the ground, the southpaw scored her third half-century off 79 deliveries, studded with two boundaries before being caught at short fine leg immediately after reaching the landmark.
With over seven overs to go and the score reading 176, Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar joined forces to power the team over the 200-run mark. The duo started accumulating the ones and the twos before smashing some big blows in a crucial 48-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
While Rana was the aggressor amassing 27 off 23 deliveries, Vastrakar was unbeaten on 30 off 33 deliveries to help the Indian side post 229 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the first innings.
In pursuit of 230, Bangladesh got off to a horrendous start as they lost Sharmin Akter and Fargana Hoque with only 15 runs on the board in the first nine overs of the innings.
They failed to recover from the twin blows early in the innings and lost wickets at regular intervals on a pitch conducive for spinners.
With Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav and Rana weaving their magic, the total seemed to be difficult for the Bangladesh side in their first World Cup in the 50-over format.
While Gayakwad was brilliant with her spell of 1 for 15 in her quota of 10 overs, Rana wreaked havoc from the other end, scalping 4 for 30 to help the Indian side record a commanding 110-run win.
The off-spinner bowled a nagging line and length and scalped crucial wickets in the middle overs to derail the batting unit of the opposition in this modest run chase.
With the confidence riding sky-high after a big win, the Women in Blue will now face South Africa in their final league match on Sunday, 27th March, at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
