India vs United Arab Emirates
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur smashed a brilliant 12th T20 half-century while wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh scored her maiden half-century in the format as India laid the foundation for a comfortable 78-run win over United Arab Emirates in their second match of the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
On a fresh pitch with strong wind, India were in early trouble after losing three wickets in the power-play. But Harmanpreet and Richa added 75 runs in 45 balls for the fifth wicket, helping India score 201/5, the first time they have scored above 200 in women’s T20. This is the highest ever score made in the history of the Women’s Asia Cup in the T20 format, surpassing 181/4, which was made by India against Malaysia in 2022. Harmanpreet scored 66 runs in 47 balls with the help of seven fours and a six. (SCORECARD)
Player of the Match Richa then gave the match a perfect finishing touch by playing a stormy innings of 64 not out in 29 balls with the help of 12 fours and a six, helping India add 37 runs in the last two overs. In reply, chasing 202 was never going to be an easy task for UAE, who finished on 123/7, as all five Indian bowlers took at least one wicket. This is India’s second consecutive win and they have moved closer to the semi-finals.
UAE got a few boundaries in the power-play but could not get off to a quick start due to lack of strike-rotation. Renuka Singh Thakur dismissed a struggling Theertha Sathish, while Pooja Vastrakar got the wicket of Rinitha Rajeeth. Deepti Sharma joined the wicket-takers’ list in the eighth over by hitting Samaira Dharanidharka straight to midwicket. With the pressure mounting on UAE, skipper Isha Ojha held one end up with her boundaries, including slog-sweeping Deepti Sharma for six and then hitting Radha Yadav for consecutive boundaries.
But her innings came to an end in the 13th over when debutant Tanuja Kanwar tempted her to come out for a drive but was beaten on the outside edge and was stumped by Richa Ghosh, giving the left-arm spinner her first international wicket in the third attempt. From there, the result was a foregone conclusion as Radha Yadav and Deepti picked up a wicket each before the UAE innings ended and India pulled off a big win.
Both teams came out with this playing XI at Women’s Asia 2024
Indian Women’s Team: Shefali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Renuka Thakur Singh and Tanuja Kanwar.
UAE Women’s Squad: Esha Rohit Oza (captain), Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper), Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharanidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Khushi Sharma, Heena Hotchandani, Vaishnav Mahesh, Rithika Rajith, Lavanya Keny and Induja Nandakumar.