“Thoroughly deserved” - Fans react as India reach Women's Asia Cup 2024 final
Defending champions India beat Bangladesh to qualify for the final of the ongoing Women's Asia Cup 2024. India defeated Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the first semi-final of the competition on Friday, July 26, at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana won the toss and elected to bat first. Opener Dilara Akter hit a six over square leg on the third ball of the game to start the proceedings. But Renuka Singh took revenge on the very next delivery.
Akter tried to hit another maximum but was caught at deep midwicket. Renuka carried on the momentum, bowling four overs on a trot to take three wickets while conceding only 10 runs.
Indian bowlers kept chipping away as Bangladesh struggled to build a partnership. Nigar Sultana was their highest scorer (32 off 51 balls) as Bangladesh finished their innings at 80/8 in 20 overs. Renuka Singh and Radha Yadav bagged three wickets each for the Women in Blue.
In response, the Indian batters were brilliant. Leading the way was Smriti Mandhana, who remained unbeaten on 55 of 39 balls. Shafali Verma scored 26 off 28 balls as India won the game by 10 wickets.
As Women in Blue qualified for their ninth successive Asia Cup final, here’s how the fans reacted:
"Congratulations. Thoroughly deserved team."
"Most destructive team in the world🔥🔥," a fan commented.
"Dominance of India cricket team," wrote another.
As India are just one game away from retaining the title, one fan wrote:
"The girls are ready to clinch another silverware."
The final of the Women's Asia Cup will be played on Sunday, July 28. Sri Lanka and Pakistan will face off in the other semifinal.
“Our bowlers did a great job” - Harmanpreet Kaur reflects as India defeat Bangladesh in the semi-final
During the post-match presentation, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised her bowlers for doing an excellent job. She added that the team was working hard and wanted to continue playing at the same level.
"Our bowlers did a great job. Whatever we spoke in the team meeting, they did the same. Really proud of the way they are bowling. A lot of pressure on us because we have been dominating Asian cricket. For us, things are simple. We want to go out there and express. We prepare ourselves hard in the nets," Kaur said.
"Every day, they are coming up with positive approaches. They are coming up with nice ideas. They are giving me confidence. They are always there for the team. Consistency is something which is very important for us. We want to keep doing what we've been doing. We'll watch the game tonight (second SF) and see whoever is there and prepare accordingly," she added (as quoted by Cricbuzz).
Pakistan Women will face Sri Lanka Women in the second semi-final on Friday, July 26.