India kept their semi-final hopes alive by routing Bangladesh in Hamilton on Tuesday in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup.
Half-centurion Yastika Bhatia along with Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar's all-round exploits, India's 110-run victory at Seddon Park lifted them to the third spot on the table.
The win also boosted their net run-rate significantly, and pushed debutants Bangladesh further towards league-stage elimination.
Player of the Match Bhatia's gritty half-century and cameos from Vastrakar and Rana which rescued them from 108 for 4 to 229 for 7.
Rana's four-for and Vastrakar's two wickets then broke the back of Bangladesh's chase, complemented superbly by Rajeshwari Gayakwad's 10-4-15-1.
On a turner, the Bangladeshi attack appeared resolute from the get-go. Ritu Moni and Nahida Akter, who shared five wickets between them, triggered India's slump from 74 for 0 to 108 for 4. This made it difficult for India to stage a better counterattack with the bat.
Bangladesh opened with spin and pace and kept India's openers on a leash at the start.
Bangladesh's inexperience against top-drawer oppositions in ODIs showed in their approach to the chase. They scraped to 19 for 2 in the powerplay, the lowest in this World Cup, as India began to tighten the screws around them.
Aided by a much-improved fielding performance than their slipshod outing two nights ago against Australia, India's five-pronged attack kept chipping away at the Bangladeshi line-up.
India Women: 229 for 7 (Bhatia 50, Verma 42, Moni 3-37, Akter 2-42)
Bangladesh Women: 119 (Khatun 32, Rana 4-30, Vastrakar 2-26)
