Bangladesh emerged victorious against India in the thrilling first ODI of three-match series by 40 runs. The win for the Bangladesh side came at the iconic Shere Bangla National Stadium and also marked their first-ever victory over the Indian team in the WODI.
Winning the toss, India elected to bowl first and bundled out Bangladesh’s batting lineup to a total of 152 runs in a rain-reduced game. The Bangladesh innings got off to a slow start, with opener Murshida Khatun contributing 13 runs off 30 deliveries, while her partner Sharmin Akhter was dismissed for a duck. Fargana Hoque steadied the innings with a patient knock of 27 runs off 45 balls, including five boundaries. Meanwhile, Nigar Sultana played a crucial innings, scoring 39 runs off 64 deliveries and anchoring the middle order. Although the rest of the batters also chipped in with valuable contributions, none could convert them into big scores.
The Indian bowlers put up a disciplined performance, led by Amanjot Kaur, who claimed four wickets for 31 runs in her nine overs. Deepti Sharma and Devika Vaidya also picked up crucial wickets.
In reply, the Indian team got off to a shaky start and suffered a few early setbacks. Priya Punia and Smriti Mandhana scored 10 and 11 runs but failed to make a significant impact. Yastika Bhatia top-scored with 15 runs, while Jemimah Rodrigues contributed 10 runs.
The Bangladesh Women’s bowlers put up an exceptional display, led by Marufa Akter, who picked up four wickets for 29 runs in her seven overs. Rabeya Khan was also impressive and bagged three scalps for 30 runs.
The Women in Blue struggled to build partnerships and were eventually bowled out for 113 runs in 35.5 overs, falling short of the target by 40 runs. Marufa’s excellent bowling performance earned her the Player of the Match award for her crucial four-wicket haul, which played a significant role in Bangladesh’s victory.
Bangladesh registered a comprehensive 40-run victory over India in the first ODI. #cricket #BANvIND #womencricket https://t.co/2c8sQuhmoy #CricketTwitter #WomenCricket pic.twitter.com/T5ptCIYx7Q
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) July 16, 2023
With this win, Bangladesh Women have taken a 1-0 lead in the series. The next match between the two sides is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 19, once again at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
