BAN vs IND, 3rd T20I: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma make 118-run chase walk in the park, India seal series
The Indian women's cricket team took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20 series against Bangladesh with a 7-wicket win in Sylhet on Thursday, May 2. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma with their 91-run opening stand killed the chase with Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur finishing the game.
India beat Bangladesh rather comfortably in the third T20I in Sylhet on Thursday, May 2 to take a 3-0 unassailable lead in the five-match series. Bangladesh batted well compared to the first two games and got close to 120 riding on opener Dilara Akter's attacking 27-ball 39. However, Akter and skipper Nigar Sultana would have liked a couple more contributions as the rest of the order offered pretty much no resistance and despite some improvements, the home side ended up with a below-par score of 117, which wasn't enough.
Radha Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for India with the figures of 2/22 with Renuka Singh Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar and Shreyanka Patil chipping in with a scalp each. Deepti Sharma was the only bowler to go wicketless for India, however, she like everyone kept things tight giving away just 18 runs in her four-over spell.
In the chase, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma were outstanding. Both took their time initially given the target wasn't a big one and sent the loose balls to the boundary. The fifty partnership came in just the sixth over and the duo continued their merry run. While Shafali got three boundaries in an over in the powerplay while Mandhana ensured that India got a boundary in an over outside the field restrictions.
However, it never looked like the Women in Blue were not in control of the chase. It was just formality as to when they will get through the finishing line.
Mandhana missed her half-century by three runs while Shafali did get to the milestone but got out soon after. The last game's player of the match, D Hemalatha too got out in the next over as India lost three quick wickets but the remaining target was just eight runs and they eventually got through with??Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur providing the finishing touch.
India could test their bench strength in the remaining two games of the series given the T20 World Cup is scheduled in the same country only.