T20I: Harmanpreet Kaur, bowlers help India secure win against Bangladesh in rain-curtailed match

Sylhet: Harmanpreet Kaur’s 39 and spinners’ outstanding performance guided India to a 56-run victory by DLS Method against Bangladesh in the rain-hit fourth T20I of the five-match series here at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Harmanpreet, in her 300th international game, top-scored with a quick 39 to help the visitors to a competitive 122/6 in 14 overs after being put to bat on a rainy day.

Chasing a target of 123, The home side was never present in the chase as they lost a flurry of wickets.

Deepti made the initial breakthrough for India in the fourth over, taking Murshida Khatun’s wicket. She then dismissed Dilhara Akter (21 off 25). In the eighth over, Rubya Haider (13 off 17) was run out following a mix-up with skipper Nigar Sultana.

Asha’s first wicket was the prized scalp of Sultana, who couldn’t read a googly on the stumps and was caught LBW. The legspinner claimed one more wicket when she removed Shorna Akter, who mistimed a slog-sweep and was caught by Richa Ghosh off a leading edge. Asha fulfilled her three-over quota with numbers of 2 for 18.

Bangladesh’s batting collapse continued to plague them throughout the series, as they fell from 38 for 1 to 47 for 6, losing the narrative and the game.

Put to bat first, India got off to a bad start as Shafali Verma was dismissed by Shorifa Khatun in the second over of the game.

Smriti Mandhana and Dayalan Hemalatha then took up the charge as the batters slammed Khatun for 15 runs with the help of two fours and one six. However, Hemalatha’s 22-run innings came to an end as she was dismissed by Marufa Akter in the 5th over of the game.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur then came out to play. In the 5.5 over rain stopped the play and after an almost 30-minute delay match was resumed with a 14-overs-a-side affair.

Rabeya Khan brought the hosts back into the game as she dismissed well-set batter Mandhana for 22. Richa Ghosh started off with a cut shot for a boundary. The Indian captain opened her hands as she along with Ghosh (24) hammered Khatun for 13 runs, slamming three boundaries. The duo stitched up 44 runs off just 28 balls for the fourth wicket. (ANI)

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