Yastika Bhatia's fifty and the all-around heroics of Sneh Rana helped India secure a convincing 110-run win over Bangladesh in Hamilton in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup today.
The win put India in the third spot in the standings with six points and keeps them in the race for a place in the semi-finals. The massive margin of victory has also boosted India's net run rate to +0.768, the second-best in the tournament as things stand and could well be an important factor to decide the final four places.
It wasn't all smooth sailing for India though as they were struggling at 176-6 before Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar finished with a flurry to set Bangladesh a target of 230. Yastika Bhatia was the star of the show with a patient fifty. As wickets kept tumbling, she stitched two vital partnerships with Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh to keep the scoreboard ticking in the middle overs.
Rana was brilliant with the ball in hand as well, finishing with a four-wicket haul that broke the back of Bangladesh's batting lineup. All the Indian bowlers were on the money from the get-go and were rewarded for their tight bowling with wickets as the required run rate kept climbing. Bangladesh's chase never took off as only five batters registered double-digit scores, with Salma Khatun top-scoring with 32.
Defending 230, India chose to open the bowling with the pace of Jhulan Goswami and spin of Rajeshwari Gayakwad. The spinner broke through first by dismissing Sharmin Akter while the veteran pacer kept things tight at the other end. India struck once again in the Powerplay through Pooja Vastrakar who trapped Fargana Hoque in front of the stumps.
With spinners operating at both ends on a slow track, Bangladesh found run-scoring difficult. Sneh Rana, who created several chances in her first spell, was rewarded with the wicket of Nigar Sultana, who holed out at mid-on attempting to accelerate. Poonam Yadav claimed her first World Cup wicket by dismissing Murshida Khatun, whose 54-ball 19-run innings came to an end in the 16th over.
Rumana Ahmed's stay at the crease didn't last long either, with Rana picking up her second wicket of the game as Bangladesh lost half their side. Lata Mondal and Salma Khatun provided some resistance with a 40-run stand before Goswami got in on the act to remove Khatun.
Rana picked up wickets in consecutive overs and eventually finished with a four-for. Goswami finished things off with a wonderful yorker to dismiss Ritu Moni as Bangladesh fell short by 110 runs. Earlier in the day, Shafali Verma (42) and Smriti Mandhana (30) got India off to a flying start after India opted to bat first, with the duo having put on 74 for the opening wicket until disaster struck on the final ball of the 15th over.
Mandhana tamely hit 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. 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.
Bhatia and Harmanpreet Kaur repaired the innings but it came at the cost of the run rate falling – their 34-run partnership came in 70 balls before Hoque's direct hit caught Kaur short of her crease.
India once again had to rebuild their innings with 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 Rana and Vastrakar did just that. Their partnership of 48 in 38 balls propelled India to 229-7.
