In a stunning display of determination, India Women scripted an impressive comeback in the second match of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh Women. After facing a defeat in the opening encounter, the Indian side bounced back in style, registering a resounding 108-run victory to level the series.
Match Report
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana hoped to exploit the conditions. India Women’s Cricket Team, however, had other plans as they looked to post a formidable total on the scoreboard.
The innings of India Women got off to a shaky start, losing three crucial wickets with just 68 runs on the board. Nevertheless, opener Smrithi Mandhana displayed resilience and managed to contribute 36 runs before departing.
The middle order then rose to the occasion, led by their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who played a brilliant innings, smashing a well-deserved half-century. Supported by Mandhana’s 52 runs, India Women’s batting found strength in Jemimah Rodrigues, who played the most crucial knock of the day.
Rodrigues’ blistering 86 runs off 78 balls, accompanied by nine boundaries, bolstered India’s innings, allowing them to post a competitive total of 228 runs for the loss of eight wickets. However, India’s lower order struggled and couldn’t maximize their potential to push the score further.
Chasing 228 runs, Bangladesh faced an uphill battle right from the beginning. The hosts stumbled early, losing two wickets with only 14 runs on the board.
Fargana Haque showed great determination in her batting and tried her best to anchor the innings. Unfortunately, she lacked substantial support from her teammates. As wickets kept tumbling, Haque stood tall and scored the highest 47 runs for her side.
India’s bowlers, led by the outstanding performance of Jemimah Rodrigues, wreaked havoc on the Bangladesh batting line-up. Rodrigues’ devastating four-wicket haul added to her already impressive all-round performance.
Devika Baidya joined the party and chipped in with three crucial wickets. The duo’s aggression and precision in bowling saw Bangladesh collapse, losing all ten wickets for a mere 120 runs.
With this emphatic victory, India Women leveled the ODI series, setting up a thrilling series decider in the third and final match. Both teams will now be eager to give their all in the ultimate battle to claim series victory and showcase their prowess in the world of women’s cricket.
I was not under pressure – Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemima Rodrigues, who won the Player of the Match award for her all-around performance, is very pleased to win the 2nd game. Having lost the first game, it was expected that India Women would be under pressure in the second.
However, Jemimah Rodrigues said, “I would be lying to say that I was not under pressure, we saw how good Bangladesh were in the first game. But as a team, we spoke about how we can respond after a loss. Harman and I were going really well then Harleen came in and gave us that push. I didn’t try to do anything extra, just tried to pitch it in the right areas and allow the surface to do the rest, credit to the management for believing in my bowling.”
Playing ODI after a long time is not easy – Harmanpreet Kaur
India Women are having an ODI series after a long time. According to the captain, it affects their performance. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur said, “We wanted to bat only. We have been batting on flat tracks, played ODIs after a long time and hence were not able to adjust quickly, but we spoke about how to adjust and bat on these surfaces (after the first game). It will be a good game in two days’ time.”
