Bangladesh women’s cricket team created a new history when they defeated six-time champions India by three-wicket in the final to clinch their maiden Twenty20 Asia Cup title at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday (Jun 10).
Bangladesh have beaten India by three wickets to win the ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2018 in a thrilling match that went down to the final delivery. Each of the previous six Women's Asia Cup tournaments had been won by India.
The Tigresses won the toss and elected to field. India looked unsteady at the crease, losing wickets steadily until captain Harmanpreet Kaur took the strike. Though she saw little support at the other end, Kaur played a captain’s knock of 56 to take India to a defensible total of 112.
Rumana Ahmed and Khadija Tul Kubra were the best of the Bangladeshi bowlers, taking 2-22 and 2-23 respectively.
Bangladesh’s chase got off to a steady start, but soon ran into trouble as openers Shamima Sultana and Ayasha Rahman were dismissed in successive deliveries.
The rest of the batting order soldiered gamely on as they were beset by the bowling of spinners Poonam Yadav and Kaur, who took 4-9 and 2-19 respectively.
It all came down to the final delivery, when all-rounder Jahanara Alam faced her first ball from the Indian captain and flicked it away on the leg side before securing victory with a dive at the striker’s end.
Rumana Ahmed was declared the Player of the Match for picking up two wickets and scoring 23 runs.
