Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
After Fargana Hoque hit the first ever hundred for Bangladesh women, Nahida Akter claimed crucial three wickets to earn a sensational tie in the third and final ODI against their Indian counterparts and finish the three-match series 1-1 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.
Fargana made a 160-ball 107, hitting seven boundaries while Shamima Sultana chipped in with 52 off 78 to post 225-4.
In reply the defending Asia Cup champions were also bundled out for the same total with three balls to spare thanks to Nahida’s 3-37 and Marufa Akter’s 2-55.
The historic moment for Bangladesh women’s cricket arrived in the final delivery of the 48th over when Fargana took a double off a Shefali Verma delivery to complete her ton off 156 deliveries.
Harleen Deol scored the highest with 77 while Smirity Mandhana finished with 59 and Jemimah Rodrigues remained unbeaten on 33.
Fargana’s unbeaten 160-ball 107 is also the highest score by a Bangladeshi in ODIs. The previous highest score by a Bangladeshi woman batter was Salma Khatun unbeaten 75 against the same opponent in 2013.
Electing to bat, Bangladesh got off to a solid start as Fargana and Shamima Sultana stitched together a 93-run opening stand — the second-best opening stand for Bangladesh in the format after a 113-run stand between Sharmin Akhter and Shukhtara Rahman against Ireland in Savar in 2011.
Shamima’s 78-ball 52, one run shy off her career-best ODI score, came to an end in the 27th over when she was caught off a Sneh Rana delivery.
For India, Sneh Rana was the pick of the bowlers with 2-45.
