India vs Bangladesh Women’s Asia Cup 2024 Semi-Final Highlights: Smriti Mandhana’s half-century takes India to final
Face bowler Renuka Singh’s three wickets and Smriti Mandhana’s unbeaten half-century underlined India’s ruthless performance as the defending champions defeated Bangladesh by 10 wickets on Friday to enter their record ninth Women’s Asia Cup final. Defending champions India will face the winner of the second semi-final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the title clash on Sunday.
Mandhana and Shafali’s knocks included trademark shots all around the ground as India scored 46 for no loss in the power play. Shafali, who was dropped on 21 off Rabeya Khan, played powerful hits across the line and reached the fence.
Mandhana, on the other hand, hit exquisite drives on the off-side, like the one the left-hander played over covers against pacer Maruffa Akhter. Mandhana showed her power by hitting a six over deep square leg off pacer Jahanara Alam to seal a win that had long seemed certain after Bangladesh fell to eight wickets for 80 runs.
Renuka (3/10) bowled brilliantly early on and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav (3/14) in the middle overs to rattle Bangladesh.
In fact, Bangladesh could hardly recover from the deep wounds inflicted by Renuka in the first six overs.
Renuka, who bowled four successive overs during her 3/10 spell, got ample support from left-arm spinner Radha Yadav (3/14) after Bangladesh were asked to bat first. Renuka dismissed Dilara Akhter in the very first over, whose slog sweep did not have enough power to hit Uma Chhetri at deep mid-wicket.
In her next over, Renuka dismissed Ishma Tanjim, who was close to her body and mistimed a delivery across the line, caught by Tanuja Kanwar at short third.
Renuka picked up her third wicket in two overs, a slightly shorter length delivery that Murshida Khatun nicked to Shafali at midwicket.
Bangladesh were falling apart fast after losing three wickets for 25 runs in the power play segment and their only real hope of a comeback was the presence of skipper Nigar Sultana (32, 51b, 2×4), who is the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament.
Sultana fought back but she too could not pose much of a challenge to the Indian bowlers, giving away just seven runs in the seventh and 10th overs and dismissing Rumana Ahmed off a fast arm ball from Radha.
Sultana hardly got any support and the excellent line from the Indian spinners on the day meant the right-handed batter could hardly play her favourite sweep shot.
