India eves whitewash Bangladesh 3-0 to clinch ODI series

File Photo of the Indian Cricket team. (Getty Images)

Indian women cricketers swept the three-match one-day international series against Bangladesh 3-0 beating them by 58 runs in the final match at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad.

The series win underpins Indian eves’ dominance over their Asian neighbours. Besides the 3-0 ODI series romp, India also whitewashed Bangladesh 3-0 in the three-match T20 series as well.

All the three T20 matches were played in Vadodara, while all the three ODI matches were played in Ahmedabad.

Making first use of the wicket, Indian openers Poonam Raut and 16-year-old Smriti Mandhawa gave their side a pretty decent start raising 37 in the first eight overs before Bangladesh made deep inroads into their batting line-up.

Medium-pacer Panna Ghosh effected the first breakthrough as Mandhawa fell for 23 which came off 30 balls, containing four hits to the fence.

Panna struck again when she got rid of Sneha Deepthi for 4. The Indian innings lost its way when Raut perished to Lata Mondal for 13 with her side wobbling at 49 for 3.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur held the innings together for a while, scoring a steady 29 but the innings got a jolt when she was prized out by Rumana Ahmed, who was settling down into a nice rhythm.

Swagatika Rath provided some much-needed impetus to the innings with a fighting 39-ball 30 before she became Ahmed’s second victim.

Rumana hastened the end of the Indian innings, showing the pavilion way to Ritu Dhruv and Poonam Yadav to finish with returns of 4 for 20. Ghosh and  Mondal chipped in with two wickets.

India were all out for 154 with still nine balls to spare.

Bangladesh had a great opportunity to snap their winless streak and pull off a consolation win, chasing a modest 155 for victory. Their hopes of a solitary win were dented when they lost both their openers Farzana Haque and Shukhtara Rahman in the first eight overs.

Ahmed – who put up a stellar effort with the ball earlier in the day – fell to Poonam Yadav without making much of an impact.

Captain Salma Khatun keep the Bangladesh innings going with a steady 22 but there was no support from the other end.

Bangladesh paid a big price for the lack of partnerships even as Yadav was spinning a web around the opposition. Sher ran through the middle-order to finish with frugal figures of 3 for 15.

Bangladesh were all out for 96 in 41.1 over, handing the hosts a well deserved win.