Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
Despite valiant efforts from the bowlers and skipper Nigar Sultana Joty with the bat in hand, Bangladesh women’s team suffered an agonising eight-run defeat against their Indian counterparts in the second T20I at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today.
India women’s team won a low-scoring thriller by eight runs in the second T20I to take the three-match series 2-0. The home side had a great chance to win the game, having restricted India to 95 but a flurry of wickets towards the end led to their loss.
Defending a small total of 95, India bowlers gave the Tigresses a very hard time, picking up the top three inside seven overs (23 for three). They were in further trouble when Minnu Mani struck for the second time to dismiss Ritu Moni. Bangladesh were reeling at 30 for four in the 8th over at that point.
Onus was on the captain Nigar to show them the way. She added 34 off 39 with Shorna Akter, Bangladesh’s top-scorer in the last match.
Nigar took the game deep and at one stage, Bangladesh needed 10 off eight balls to win. In an attempt to find a boundary, Nigar stepped out against Deepti Sharma but missed the ball completely and Yastika Bhatia did not make a mistake to stump her out.
Shafali Verma bowled the last over and Bangladesh batters went for big shots, only to lose their wickets. They managed just one run off that over and lost their last four wickets.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur again won the toss and this time elected to bat first. The Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana enjoyed the pace of Bangladesh opening bowlers. Shafali, who missed out in the first game, started well with four boundaries. She added 33 off just 4.2 overs before Nahida Akter got the better of Mandhana (13 off 13).
India lost two more batters – Shafali (19 off 14) and Harmanpreet – in a space of six balls. Harmanpreet, who scored a match-winning fifty in the last match, succumbed to a golden duck. The 33-run stand remained the highest partnership for India in the innings as Bangladesh spinners choked the visiting side.
Like Bangladesh in the last match, India lacked boundaries in the middle overs and scored only 28 runs in that phase (overs 7-15), losing three wickets.
Marufa Akter’s pace was handy for India as they took 11 off her last over to take the score to 95 for eight.
Bangladesh’s spin quartet never let the visiting team off the hook as they conceded 4.2 runs per over and accounted for seven wickets.
