Bangladesh secured a consolation victory in the final T20I against India, avoiding a clean sweep in the series. Chasing a target of 103 runs, Shamima Sultana played a crucial role with her patient innings of 42 runs off 46 balls. Despite a minor collapse in the middle overs, Sultana Khatun‘s quickfire 12 off eight balls and Nahida Akter‘s calm unbeaten 10 off six balls guided Bangladesh to their third victory over India in 16 T20Is.
Once again, India struggled against the spinners, similar to the previous match. Smriti Mandhana fell to offspinner Khatun on the very first ball she faced, while Shafali Verma‘s aggressive approach was curtailed by the disciplined bowling of Marufa Akter. Jemimah Rodrigues, who was well set, was stumped by Shorna Akter, triggering a collapse for India as they went from 91 for three to 102 for nine wickets.Â
The Indian batswomen, including Yastika Bhatia, Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, and Minnu Mani, all fell victim to the spinners while trying to accelerate the scoring. Nahida dismissed Vastrakar, Mani attempted a scoop and got cleaned up, and Deepti was caught at deep midwicket off the last ball of the innings. Rabeya Khan ended with figures of three for the innings.
Bangladesh employed spinners for 17 overs during India’s innings, which caused trouble for the Indian batswomen. India struggled to score against the spinners, managing only 44 dot balls during their innings.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who came in early after a first-ball duck in the previous match, stabilised India’s innings. She handled Sultana’s bowling confidently, partnering with Rodrigues to add 45 runs for the third wicket and later adding 26 runs with Bhatia.Â
Kaur displayed a variety of shots, including sweeps, taps in front of the cover, and quick singles. She also hit the only six of the match, stepping down the track to hit Fahima Khatun’s legspin over wide long-on. However, Kaur was stumped by Sultana in the 17th over, hampering India’s progress. In the last four overs, India managed to score only 12 runs, losing six wickets in the process.
In the chase, Sultana took on the responsibility of guiding Bangladesh to victory after the disappointment of the previous match’s unsuccessful chase. She played a composed innings, relying on good running between the wickets and occasional boundaries. Using the sweep shot effectively, she found gaps between the deep midwicket and the fine leg to maintain the required run rate.
Captain Nigar Sultana provided support, contributing to a 46-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Nigar’s dismissal while attempting a cut shot brought some tense moments for Bangladesh. From a comfortable position of 62 for two, Bangladesh stumbled to 85 for six, with Sultana getting run out in the 17th over.
Fortunately for Bangladesh, Ritu Moni and Nahida steadied the innings, capitalising on a 13-run over from debutant Rashi Kanojiya. Their partnership ensured there were no further setbacks as Bangladesh successfully chased down the target, making good use of their bowlers’ efforts in restricting India to a low score for the second consecutive game.
