Dhaka: Pooja Vastrakar, Shafali Verma, and debutant Minnu Mani chipped in with a wicket each to help India restrict Bangladesh to a below-par total of 114/5 in first of three T20Is at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, here Sunday.
On a sluggish pitch where spinners got ample turn and bounce, Indian bowlers did well to keep Bangladesh six runs below 120. For the hosts’, an unbeaten 28 from youngster Shorna Akter, laced with two sixes, helped them cross the 100-run mark.
Pushed into batting first, openers Shamima Sultana and debutant Shathi Rani added 27 runs for the first wicket, before the former slog swept straight to Jemimah Rodrigues at deep square leg in the fifth over, giving Minnu her first T20I wicket after being hit for a six and four on last two balls.
After ending the power-play at 34/1, Shathi gave the Bangladesh score some impetus by carting Amanjot Kaur for a hat-trick of fours in the seventh over — a loft over mid-off was followed by a swipe over deep mid-wicket and slice over backward point in the powerplay.
But Pooja came back in the ninth over to take out Shathi, who tried to hit across the line but missed the ball completely and was castled. More trouble followed Bangladesh when a mix-up resulted in captain Nigar Sultana being run-out for just two.
From there, Bangladesh’s innings went nowhere as India’s spinners stemmed the run-flow. Shafali entered the wickets column by having Sobhana stumped easily. It needed a brace of sixes from Shorna over wide long-on fence to take Bangladesh past 100, as the innings ended with India missing their direct throws from both ends to concede three runs off the last ball.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 114/5 in 20 overs (Shorna Akter 28 not out, Sobhana Mostary 23; Pooja Vastrakar 1/16, Shafali Verma 1/18) against India.
IANS
