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Bangladesh could not have asked for a better start to their title defence as they beat Thailand emphatically in their opening match of the Asia Cup in Sylhet on Saturday.
Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty hit a six to end the tie, securing a nine-wicket win for Bangladesh after they bowled Thailand out for just 82.
In reply, Shamima Sultana’s 49 off 30 ensured Bangladesh were on the path to victory after their bowlers produced a combined effort to bowl out Thailand for a meagre total.
After Thailand won the toss and opted to bat first, the Bangladesh bowling attack did exactly that. They did not let the Thai batters form any partnership as only four could reach double figures.
Their highest partnership was between Natthakan Chantham (20) and Phannita Maya (26) for the third wicket of 38 runs. But after Maya’s dismissal, Thailand fell like a house of cards as they lost their last eight wickets for 28 runs.
Rumana Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh as she picked up three wickets, with Sanjida Akter Meghla, Nahida Akter, and Shohely Akter picking up two each. Star all-rounder Salma Khatun, on her birthday, took the other scalp.
In reply, Shamima and Fargana Hoque’s partnership of 69 runs off just 49 deliveries showed intent and provided Bangladesh with a flying start. Shamima was unlucky to miss out on a fifty as she was bowled by Thipatcha Putthawong.
But from there on, Fargana (26*) and skipper Nigar (10*) saw the game out before the former ended the match with a six.
After the match, the Bangladesh skipper was full of praise for the openers, including the player of the match Shamima, as they brought the team a blistering start.
“Our plan always is to use the powerplay well. Shamima apu batted extraordinarily. Pinky (Fargana) apu provided great support. We want this. We fail to make or chase big scores when we fail to do this (utilising the powerplay). I think it’s a good start. We always want our batters to bat with good intent,” Nigar said in the post-match press conference.
While there were suggestions that Bangladesh could only start fast because of their low target, the Bangladesh skipper begged to differ.
“It’s a T20. If we batted first, we would have played with the same approach to score 80 in or around the first 10 overs. Then, we will get a good score after the next 10. We have to consider that we have matches coming up. The preparation is important. We did not see the target, we followed our plan,” she said.
She implied that while dominating the first match was a good sign, it was expected from them to do so against Thailand, whom Bangladesh had beat last month in the 2023 T20 World Cup Qualifiers.
“The first match of a tournament is very tournament. It sets the tone for the rest of the tournament. Plus, it boosts up the team. But saying that, we should win dominantly against a team like Thailand,” the Bangladesh skipper told the media.
While the batters got the praise, the win was set up by the bowlers as they managed to apply the team’s goal, which was to bowl Thailand out for a two-digit score, and also did not concede any boundaries in the first six overs.
“Our bowlers always do well. That is our strength. The batters also contribute well. Our plan was to bowl them out for below 100. In that aspect, the bowlers did their job really well. We did not concede a boundary in the powerplay. That is very important,” Nigar said on Saturday.
Bangladesh’s next match in the tournament is against Pakistan on Monday, whom they had beaten in the Women’s ODI World Cup earlier this year.
“We have to go in with a different plan against Pakistan,” Nigar spoke briefly about that match.
