Bangladesh National Women’s Cricket Team lost the opening game of their three-match series against India by seven wickets in Dhaka on Sunday.
Batting first, Bangladesh could only manage 114-5, a target which India went past with ease as they finished the game with 22 balls in hand.
In their first match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium after 11 years, Bangladesh were put in to bat first after losing the toss.
Shamima Sultana and Shathi Rani added 27 for the opening stand before the former perished for 17.
The debutant Rani added 25 runs with Sobhana Mostary before falling for 22, and then a calamitous miscommunication between Mostary and Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty led to the captain’s dismissal.
Mostary also soon departed for 23, for which she spent 33 balls. However, youngster Shorna Akter’s 28 runs off 28 balls took Bangladesh to 114-5.
In reply, India were rattled early as Marofa Akter struck in the third ball of their innings to send back the destructive Shefali Verma for a duck.
Bangladesh also managed to remove Jemimah Rodrigues in the fourth over as she chopped one of Sultana Khatun’s bowling.
However, a 70-run stand between Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur took India near to victory before the former was out to Sultana for 38.
Indian skipper Harmanpreet took them home staying unbeaten on 54 and claimed the Player of the Match award.
