India beat Bangladesh by 44 runs in first women's T20I

NEW DELHI: India showcased a clinical bowling performance led by pace duo Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, who combined to claim five wickets in the opening women's T20I in Sylhet.
Opting to bat first, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia stabilized the middle order, but India missed out on a late surge, finishing at 145 for seven.
Bangladesh, with hopes of chasing down the target, faced a strong Indian bowling attack led by Renuka Singh, which restricted them to 101 for 8.
Despite skipper Nigar Sultana's valiant effort with a 51 off 48 balls, she lacked support from her teammates as India secured a convincing 44-run victory.
For India, Renuka was the leader of the bowling unit as she trapped Dilara Akter (4) in her third ball before cleaning up Sobhana Mostary (6) in 5th over.
Experienced spinner Deepti Sharma then removed Murshida Khatun (13) LBW, while Vastrakar rapped Fahima Khatun (1) on the pads in 7th over to leave the hosts at 30 for 4.
Radha Yadav too tossed one up to deceive Shorna Akter (11), while Renuka returned to get rid of Rabeya Khan (2). Shreyanka Patil too joined the party, sending back Nahida Akter (9), before Sultana fell to Vastrakar in the final over.
Earlier, charismatic opener Smriti Mandhana departed for just nine runs but Shafali Verma put up a gritty display to score a 22-ball 31.
Bhatia (36 off 29 balls) and Harmappreet (30 off 22) then came up with a 45-run partnership, as India batters overcame the challenges on a slow wicket.
Bangladesh leg-spinner Rabeya Khan was the most successful bowler for the hosts, returning figures of 3/23 in four overs.
Mandhana started in right earnest dispatching Sultan Khatun's consecutive deliveries in the second over to the ropes.
The India vice-captain first danced down the track to heave the ball over the extra cover fielder before swatting a short-pitched delivery through the square leg region.
But Mandhana's stay was cut short as she tried to play a Fariha Trisna (1/23) ball across the line, only to find a thick inside edge uprooting her leg stump.
That blow kept the Indian batters silent for a good one over before Shafali declared her intention by heaving a tossed up delivery over the long on fence for a big six off Khatun.
Shafali and Yastika continued to score at a reasonable rate, picking up loose deliveries from Fariha and Nahida Akter to hit boundaries.
But Shafali departed in the ninth over, trying to play a Rabeya Khan delivery across the line only to end up giving an easy catch to Fahima at extra cover.
With Harmanpreet joining Yastika at the crease, runs came freely. She chose Rabiya for special treatment in the 11th over, scoring 13 runs with the help of two boundaries.
Yastika too showed superb technique and timing, playing some exquisite boundaries off left-arm pacer Fariha Trisna in the 13th over as India crossed the 100-run mark.
But both the well-set batters departed in quick succession, with Harmanpreet declared plumb leg-before in front off a Fahima delivery in the 14th over and Rabeya getting the prized wicket of Yastika, caught in the point region by Sultana.
Earlier, Harmanpreet won the toss and elected to bat. The five-match T20I series is a dress rehearsal for the upcoming T20I World Cup slated in Bangladesh later this year.
(With PTI inputs)