by: TN Media News Pakistan: India Women secured their place in the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 final with a commanding 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh Women. The match, held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, showcased India’s dominance in both bowling and batting.
Bangladesh’s Struggle: Opting to bat first, Bangladesh faced trouble early on as Renuka Singh Thakur’s superb bowling dismantled their top order. Thakur’s exceptional figures of 3/10 in her four overs set the tone for India’s bowling attack. Radha Yadav further compounded Bangladesh’s woes, claiming 3/14. Despite a valiant effort from captain Nigar Sultana, who scored 32 off 51 balls, Bangladesh’s lack of support from other batters led to a modest total of 80/8 in their 20 overs.
India’s Flawless Chase: In response, India’s openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana chased down the target with ease. Mandhana was in fine form, scoring an unbeaten 55 off 39 balls, which included nine boundaries and a six. Verma played a steady knock of 26 off 28 balls, ensuring India reached the target in just 11 overs without losing a wicket.
Key Performers
India: Renuka Singh Thakur: 3 wickets for 10 runs
Radha Yadav: 3 wickets for 14 runs
Smriti Mandhana: 55* runs off 39 balls
Shafali Verma: 26* runs off 28 balls
Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana: 32 runs off 51 balls
Post-Match Reactions: India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, praised the team’s all-round performance. “Our bowlers executed their plans perfectly, and the openers made light work of the chase. We are thrilled to reach our ninth consecutive Asia Cup final.”
Bangladesh’s skipper, Nigar Sultana, acknowledged the strong opposition and expressed determination to improve. “India played exceptionally well. We need to learn from this experience and come back stronger.”
Looking Ahead: This emphatic win propels India to their ninth consecutive Asia Cup final. India now awaits the winner of the second semi-final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka to determine their opponent in the final. With their bowlers in top form and openers displaying remarkable consistency, India looks poised for another strong performance in the final.
Final Score: Bangladesh: 80/8 (20 overs)
India: 84/0 (11 overs)
India won by 10 wickets.
