India eves thump Bangladesh by 7 wickets to clinch three-match T20 series

File Photo: Poonam Raut of India lead from the front again. (Getty Images)

Indian women cricketers beat Bangladesh by seven wickets to clinch the three-match T20 series at the Reliance Sports Complex in Vadodara on Thursday.

Set a modest 89 for victory, India launched their chase shuffling the opening pair of Poonam Raut and Thirush Kamini with wicketkeeper Anagha Deshpande and Mona Meshram.

The new opening combo vindicated the faith of the team management, raising a solid half-century partnership in the first ten overs to make the final outcome of the match a foregone conclusion.

Anagha took the attack to the opposition, belting three fours in her 39-ball 28, while her partner Mona milked the ones and twos, scoring a handy 33-ball 29.

The robust opening stand took the wind out of Bangladesh’s sails as they could do little to stop the home side from running away with the match.

18-year-old Swagatika Rath was promoted up the order at the fall of Anagha’s dismissal but she failed to make the most of her elevation, falling cheaply for 5.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur (in the absence of regular captain Mithali Raj) walked in and joined forced with regular opener Poonam Raut as the pair seemed keen to wrap up the match without further ado.

Harmanpreet struck a boundary while Poonam clubbed two fours as India administered the last rites, romping home with two overs to spare.

Earlier, batting first, Bangladesh eves were off to a sluggist start.

Harmanpreet opened with bowling with medium-pacer Nagarajan Niranjana and left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht and the move worked to a nicety as the pace-spin duo kept the Bangladesh openers – Shahanaz Parvin and Farzana Haque on a tight leash.

The fact that both the openers hit only one boundary in the first nine overs only sums up the discipline of the Indian bowlers. The frustration got to the Bangladesh openers when Shahanaz was prized out by Ekta Bisht. Her knock of 15 came off 29 balls with one hit to the fence.

Farzana soon followed her opening partner to the pavilion with the team’s score on 48 in the 14th over, which put India in the driver’s seat.

Shukhtara Rahman provided some impetus to the innings with two sixes in her 27-ball 25, while captain Salma Khatun raised the tempo with an unbeaten 17-ball 16 as the visitors finished at 88 for 4 off their allotted 20 overs.

The third and final T20 match would be played at the same venue on Friday.