Brief Scores
India: 229 for 7 in 50 overs (Yastika Bhatia 50, Pooja Vastrakat 30 not out, Sneh Rana 27, Richa Ghosh 26; Ritu Moni 3/37, Nahida AKter 2/42)
Bangladesh: 119 all out in 40.3 overs (Salma Khatun 32; Sneh Rana 4/30, Pooja Vastrakar 2/26)
India won by 110 runs
India kept their semi-final hopes alive by routing Bangladesh in Hamilton. Set up by half-centurion Yastika Bhatia along with Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar's all-round exploits, India's 110-run victory at Seddon Park lifted them to the third spot on the table. The win also boosted their net run-rate significantly, and pushed debutants Bangladesh further towards league-stage elimination.
An all-round India have kept their hopes of making it to the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 alive thanks to a big 110-run win over Bangladesh in Hamilton on Tuesday (Mar 22). Sneh Rana took four wickets as Indian bowlers put up a combined display to bowl out Bangladesh for 110 after Yastika Bhatia’s well-crafted fifty helped them set a 230-run target at Seddon Park.
With this win, India’s third of the competition, they have climbed up to the third spot in the standings with Australia maintaining their lead at the top followed by South Africa at the second position.
The Tigresses never looked in the hunt as India spinners kept chipping away at the wickets while stifling them. Boundaries were hard to come by as required run-rate kept climbing up resulting in risky shots and thus fall of wickets.
Salma Khatun was their top-scorer with 32 off 25 while the next best came from Lata Mondal (24). The rest failed to cross 19. Rana finished with 4/30 while Jhulan Goswami and Pooja Vastrakar took a couple of wickets each.
Earlier, India’s top-order batter Yastika scored a patient fifty, while Rana and Vastrakar came up with late-innings flurry as the Mithali Raj-led side posted a respectable 229/7. Thanks to Rana and Vastrakar’s cameos, India added 64 runs in the last 10 overs, setting Bangladesh a target of 230. Yastika Bhatia was the star performer scoring her 50 off 80 balls. As wickets kept falling, she stitched two vital partnerships with Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh to keep the scoreboard ticking in the middle overs.
On a slow Seddon Park track, the Bangladesh bowlers bowled brilliantly and kept picking wickets at crucial junctures to put the skids on India’s scoring.
Opting to bat first, Shafali Verma (42) and Smriti Mandhana (30) got India off to a good start, with the duo putting on 74 for the opening wicket until disaster struck on the final ball of the 15th over. Mandhana tamely hit Nahida Akter straight to Fargana Hoque and then Ritu Moni got in on the act during the next over to turn the game on its head quickly.
Shafali Verma tried to hit one out of the ground and was stumped, before skipper Mithali Raj hit her first ball straight to Fahima Khatun at cover as India were quickly reduced to 74/3.
Yastika Bhatia and Harmanpreet Kaur repaired the innings but it came at the cost of a run rate slump — their 34-run partnership came in 70 balls before Hoque’s direct hit caught Harmanpreet short of her crease.
India once again had to rebuild their innings with Richa Ghosh joining Bhatia at the crease. The wicketkeeper-batter took the attack to the bowlers early on, smashing Lata Mondal for consecutive boundaries in the 30th over. The duo kept finding the boundaries regularly but just when they looked set, Ghosh was caught behind trying to cut a ball that was too close to the body.
Bhatia got to her second fifty of the tournament but fell off the very next ball attempting the paddle sweep. At 180/6 at the end of 44th over, India needed to finish well and Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar did just that. Their partnership of 48 in 38 balls propelled India to 229/7.
India, who will be keen to cement their spot inside the top-four with a victory, made one change to their playing XI with Poonam Yadav replacing Meghna Singh.
Bangladesh made two changes to their side, with Murshida Khatun and Lata Mondal included for Shamima Sultana and Fariha Trisna.
