Indian women’s team lost to Bangladesh for the first time in ODIs
India’s batting woes continued as Bangladesh rode on their bowlers to win by 40 runs using the Duckworth-Lewis method in the rain-affected opening women’s one-day international here on Sunday. It was Bangladesh’s first win over the visiting team in ODIs as they took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. India’s young fast bowler Amanjot Kaur took four wickets for 31 runs on her ODI debut as Bangladesh were bundled out for 152 runs in 43 overs. Chasing this easy target, the Indian team was reduced to just 113 runs in 35.5 overs. The match was reduced to 44 overs due to rain for about an hour and India were given a revised target of 154 runs by the Duckworth-Lewis method. India’s batting had also been shaky in the previous T20I series in which the team was bowled out for 95 runs in the second match but managed to win it thanks to the bowlers.
Bangladesh, however, defeated India in the third and final match due to their poor batting. Veteran player Deepti Sharma was the top scorer with an innings of 20 runs. Apart from him, no batsman could reach the score of 20 runs. Bangladesh medium pacer Marufa Akhtar took four wickets for 29 runs in seven overs and leg-spinner Rabia Khan took three wickets for 30 runs in 7.5 overs. India’s star batsman Smriti Mandhana (11 runs) failed to play a big innings this time too and was the first player to be dismissed. Top-order batsman Priya Punia, returning to the Indian team for the first time since 2021, managed only 10 runs in 27 balls and was the second player in the team to be dismissed for 30 runs. Only seven runs were added to the score when captain Harmanpreet Kaur (05 runs) was lbw to Nahida Akhtar’s ball.
Wicket-keeper batsman Yastika Bhatia (15 runs) was made her first victim by Rabia, the score was 44 runs for four wickets. The onus was on Jemimah Rodrigues (10 runs) to anchor the middle order but her poor form continued and she became Rabia’s second victim. Then Amanjot (15 runs) made every effort to support Deepti, but Marufa Akhtar broke the team’s hopes by breaking the 30-run partnership between them. Wickets kept falling and Anusha Bareddi was run out as Bangladesh women’s team defeated India for the first time in ODIs. Earlier, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and decided to bowl. Bangladesh team could not dominate on their own ground in cloudy weather. India, on the other hand, were helped by a magical spell from Amanjot and economical bowling from Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma, as the team tightened the noose on the hosts from the start.
Amanjot (23 years) took the wickets of opener Murshida Khatoon, Fargana Haque, captain Nigar Sultana and Rabia Khan as Bangladesh struggled. Nigar Sultana was the top run-scorer for the home team, scoring 39 runs at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, besides sharing a crucial 49-run partnership with Fargana Haque (27 runs). Sneh Rana gave India the first breakthrough when opener Sharmin Akhtar was run out by the spinner in the eighth over. The pressure of not being able to score on a wet outfield showed in Sharmin, who was run out while attempting a quick run off Murshida and did not even wait for the TV umpire’s decision. Rain interrupted play for more than an hour early in the 16th over and even then Bangladesh’s slow run rate continued, leaving them struggling at 63 for three at the end of the 21st over.
Experienced batsman Fargana Haque (27 runs) stitched a good partnership with skipper Nigar Sultana but she became Amanjot’s second victim in the 21st over. Captain Sultana was also soon out lbw to Amanjot’s bowling, due to which the fast bowler and the Indian players started celebrating. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals and Bangladesh’s innings was reduced to an over before last batsman Shorna Akhtar did not come out to bat due to injury. Apart from Amanjot, left-arm spinner Anusha Bareddi made her ODI debut for India. Shorna Akhtar made his ODI debut for Bangladesh.
