New Delhi:
Bangladesh on Sunday defeated India in a last-ball thriller to clinch the Women’s Asia Cup T20 2018 at Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur. Afte winning the crucial toss, Bangladesh invited India to bat first.
Indian openers Smriti Mandhana (7 off 12) and Mithali Raj (11 off 18) could not provide their team the desired start and both departed early in the innings.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (56 off 42) stayed on one end till the last ball but India kept on losing wickets from another on regular intervals. In their 20 overs, India could read 112/9 wickets.
In response to India's 112, Bangladesh had a decent start and scored 35 runs in first 6.4 overs. However, Poonam Yadav brought India back in the game with her two consecutive wickets.
She again dented a huge blow to Bangladesh in her next over and send the dangerous Fargana Hoque back in the dugout. Nigar Sultana and Rumana Ahmed then took the charge of their innings and build a crucial 28-run partnership to take their team a little more close to victory.
However, Poonam Yadav again tried to turn the tables in India's favour by sending back Sultana. She scored 27 off just 24 balls which went on to become her team's highest individual score.
In the last over, Bangladesh needed nine runs to win and skipper Harmanpreet herself took the charge. She was hit for a boundary on the second ball of the last over by Ahmed which put the pressure back on the Indian skipper.
Bangladesh needed four runs in four balls and it looked that they will win the match easily. However then came another twist in the tale and Harmanpreet got the better of Sanjida Islam. On the next ball, Ahmed pulled away the ball on long on and wanted to take double but could not complete it and lost her wicket.
Bangladesh needed two runs on the last ball and Jahanara Alam was on the strike. Harmanpreet bowled it full on middle and Alam easily slugged that away after a shimmy towards deep mid-wicket for two runs.
Here are the Highlights of India vs Bangladesh, Women’s Asia Cup T20 2018 Final:
# 02:46 PM: Harmanpreet Kaur to Jahanara Alam, 2 runs, Bangladesh defeat India by 3 wickets
The Celebration!
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) June 10, 2018
Photo : Asian Cricket Council pic.twitter.com/1hZQoT2JIt
# 02:45 PM: Salma Khatun comes to the crease.
# 02:44 PM: RUN OUT! Harmanpreet Kaur sends Rumana Ahmed back to the pavilion
#02:13 PM: After after 14 overs Bangladesh 66-3. They need 47 runs in 36 balls. One more wicket here will put India on top.
#02:01 PM: OUT! Poonam Yadav sends Fargana Hoque back in the dugout. the pressure would be now on Bangladesh. And Poonam has brought India back in the game now. BAN 55/3Â
#01:54 PM: After 10 overs Bangladesh 50/2. Poonam Yadav has brought India back in the match with her double strike. Can India pull things back in its favour from now? Stay with us as we bring you all the latest updates.
#01:41 PM: OUT!! another wicket goes down. What an over from Poonam Yadav. She takes two wickets in consecutive deliveries and both the Bangladesh openers are back in the dugout. After 7 overs, BAN 35/2 and need 78 from 78 balls.
#01:40 PM: WICKET!! The first wicket comes for India. Poonam Yadav strikes in her first over and the dangerous Ayasha Rahman is gone. Bangladesh 35/1
#01:30 PM: Another good over from Ekta. She conceded just three runs off her 2nd over. Bangladesh off to a decent start. They are playing cautiously and not taking any risk. After 3 overs, Bangladesh 15/0.
#01:21 PM: Shikha Pandey from the other end. 10 runs from the first four balls bowled by Shikha and she seems to be in some pain at the moment. Physio is out there in the middle and Shikha walks off the field for some medical attention. Deepti to bowl the remaining two balls.
#01:17 PM: Welcome back. Shamima Sultana and Ayasha Rahman come out to open the innings for Bangladesh. Seeing the Bangladeshi spinners getting good help from the wicket, India too decide to start off with the spin and Ekta Bisht will open the attack.
 Innings Break!!
#01:05 PM: Khadija to Harmanpreet Kaur, out Caught by Jahanara Alam! And she fought it like a true champion. Stayed there till the end and scored a fantastic fifty to give India some runs on board to fight. Score after 20 overs IND 112-9
#12:47 PM: After 16 overs, India 80/7. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur is still around and she is India only hope. It would be Interesting to see how far she can take her team.
#12:41 PM: Booooommm!! Wickets are falling like leaves in spring. Ahmed takes her number 2 in the over. Shikha Pandey is the victim here. She just edged the ball that was pitched outside off stump and gets an edge that went straight to the wicketkeeper's gloves. IND 74/7
#12:39 PM: Gone! India continue to lose wickets at a crucial stage. Taniya Bhatia departs for 3. Excellent piece of spin bowling from Rumana Ahmed. India 72/6
#12:30 PM: OUT! Another wicket goes down. And nothing is going in India's way. Veda Krishnamurthy departs for 11 and the skipper Salma Khatun gets the big wicket. India 63/5
#12:20 PM: After 10 overs IND 42/4. The Indian eves must need a big partnership to keep their chances alive. If they could stretch it to 130, the game will be on.
#12:13 PM: Another wicket goes down. It's bizarre. Anuja Patil has been given out for obstructing the field. She was well short of the crease and a throw hit her bat. Bangladesh appealed for obstructing the field and umpire gave her out even as the replay showed she was not looking at the ball. India 32/4
#12:03 PM:Â BIG BIG WICKET FOR BANGLADESH! Mithali Raj has to go back to the hut. Khadija Tul Kubra takes a wicket in her second over. Raj could not connect the ball well and the mistimed shot goes up in the air only. A good catch by Fargana Hoque. India are in trouble now. IND 28/3
#11:59 AM: OUT! Another blow for India as Jahanara Alam strikes. Deepti Sharma has been Clean Bowled! She could not connect it will and the ball took an inside edge to hit the stumps. Celebrations for Bangladesh. IND 26/2
#11:54 AM: After 5 overs IND 15/1. India have started off very slowly against the quality bowling efforts from Bangladesh. But the women in blue have the strength to accelerate in no time.Â
#11:42 AM: OUT! Not a good start for India. Smriti Mandhana has been RUN OUT! Her poor run in the Asia Cup continues. HUGE BLOW for India. The scorecard reads: IND 11/1
#11:30 AM: Get, set and ready. Here we go... Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana are out in field to open the innings for India against Bangladesh in the Women's Asia Cup T20 Final. Bangladesh starts off with spin and gives the ball to Nahida Akter.
#11:12 AM:Â Bangladesh Women (Playing XI):Â Shamima Sultana(w), Ayasha Rahman, Fargana Hoque, Sanjida Islam, Fahima Khatun, Jahanara Alam, Nigar Sultana, Rumana Ahmed, Salma Khatun(c), Khadija Tul Kubra, Nahida Akter
#11:10 AM: India Women (Playing XI):Â Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Anuja Patil, Jhulan Goswami, Taniya Bhatia(w), Ekta Bisht, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav
#11:05 AM: Toss! Bangladesh skipper Salma Khatun has won the important toss and they have decided to bowl first. In their last encounter in the tournament when India had decided to bat first against Bangladesh, the result went against the women in blue. Can they turn the tables this time? Stick with us for all the action.
