Smriti Mandhana, Renuka shine as India wallop Bangladesh by 10 wickets, enter Women's Asia Cup final
Dambulla, Jul 26: Pacer Renuka Singh's three-wicket burst followed by Smriti Mandhana's brisk unbeaten fifty underlined India's ruthless performance as the defending champions walloped Bangladesh by 10 wickets and marched into their record-extending ninth women’s Asia Cup final, here on Friday.
India will face the winner of the second semifinal between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in the title clash on Sunday.
Shafali (26 not out, 28b, 2x4) and Mandhana (55 not out, 39b, 9x4, 1x6) were on song from the word go, as India overhauled the target of 81 without breaking a sweat.
India ended up at 83 for no loss in 11 overs.
Mandhana and Shafali's knocks were filled with trademark shots around the ground as India motored to 46 for no loss in the Power Play.
Shafali, who was dropped on 21 off Rabeya Khan, played those powerful heaves across the line to find the fence.
Mandhana, at the other end, unfurled those exquisite drives on the off-side, such as the one the left-hander played through the covers against pacer Marufa Akter.
Mandhana also displayed her power while pulling pacer Jahanara Alam for a six over deep square leg as India trotted to a victory that was a long-forgone conclusion once Bangladesh were limited 80 for eight.
Renuka (3/10) upfront and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav in the middle overs (3/14) rattled Bangladesh with excellent spells.
In fact, Bangladesh hardly recovered from the deep wounds inflicted by Renuka in the first six overs.
Renuka, who bowled four overs on the trot during her 3/10 spell, received ample support from left-arm spinner Radha Yadav (3/14) after Bangladesh elected to bat first.
Renuka struck in the first over itself, dismissing Dilara Akter, whose slog sweep did not have enough power in it to clear Uma Chetry at deep mid-wicket.
In her next over, Renuka got the better of Ishma Tanjim with a delivery that stayed close to her body and a mistimed whip across the line was grabbed by Tanuja Kanwar at short third.
Renuka bagged her third wicket in as many overs with a slightly short of length delivery that Murshida Khatun slapped straight to Shafali at midwicket.
At 25 for three inside the Power Play segment, Bangladesh were falling apart fast and their real hope for a revival was the presence of skipper Nigar Sultana (32, 51b, 2x4), the third highest run-getter in the tournament.
Sultana hung around resolutely but even she could not offer a meaningful fight to the Indian bowlers, who gave away just seven runs across overs seven and 10 while losing Rumana Ahmed to Radha’s quick arm ball.
There was also hardly any backing for Sultana and the excellent line of Indian spinners on the day meant that the right-hander could rarely play her preferred sweep shot.
The Indians, on their part, fielded vastly better compared to the previous games and Shafali was particularly impressive.
Her forward-diving catch to oust Rabeya off pacer Pooja Vastrakar was from the top draw.
There was a good little partnership of 36 runs for the seventh wicket between Sultana, who was dismissed for the first time in this tournament, and Shorna Akter (19 not out, 18b, 2x4) but it came way too late to have any match-course altering effect.
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I am worried for all those who are worried about Abhishek's form: Suryakumar
Ahmedabad (PTI): Suryakumar Yadav was cheeky and sarcastic at the same time when the inevitable query on Abhishek Sharma's hattrick of ducks came up ahead of India's T20 World Cup game against South Africa on Sunday.
"About Abhishek's form, I worry for the people who are worried about Abhishek's form. I worry about them. Why are they so worried about Abhishek's form?" Surya, the protective skipper, who walks the talk when it comes to team ethos "All For one and One For All", said dismissing the query like his customary 'Supla' shot.
"Last year, Abhishek covered for all of us. Now it is our duty to cover for him," said Surya, with an obvious reference to his own wretched form that continued for last one year."
For world's No 1 ranked T20 batter Abhishek, the skipper was ready to go that extra mile for what all his junior teammate achieved in the one year run-up to the World Cup.
"But I think about those teams who are going to play against him. That he has not yet scored a run. You know the rest of the answers. When he scores a run, you have seen what happens. It happens, it's a team sport, it keeps going on."
Abhishek has been dismissed by off-spinner in successive games trying to slog and the skipper is least bothered about the type of bowling that's getting him out or the manner of dismissal.
For Surya, important point is to see Abhishek playing his natural attacking game, hell or high water.
"Our team requires a certain kind of game from Abhishek and he is trying to play in that manner. We never want him to lose his identity. If his method doesn't work, we are there to cover for him," Surya said.
During South Africa's practice session on Friday, skipper Aiden Markram, who bowls off-breaks, was seen trying to bowl keeping two cones one on off stick and one on the leg stick. It was an effort to keep it within line of three stumps.
This is a ploy that has given both Salman Ali Agha and Aryan Dutt success against Abhishek.
"Whether they put off-spinners or left-arm spinners, we have played so much cricket, I think everyone is well equipped. You won't get a rough patch even if an off-spinner bowls in first two overs. We play franchise cricket, domestic cricket. In that, off-spinners also bowl with the new ball so many times to the left-handers."
The skipper said that it is imperative to have one's own gameplan.
"Everyone has their own game plan of how to play and who to play. At that time, if the team has a requirement to play shots and make runs, then we will make runs against off-spinners also. But as I said, everyone has their own game plan."
