Desk Report:
Great bowling, then great batting in the chase of the target – Nigar Sultana Jyoti defeated Pakistan as the better team. Bangladesh women started the Women’s ODI World Cup with a 7-wicket victory.
The bowlers paved the way for victory in the first half of the match in Colombo. Pakistan was all out for 129 runs under the controlled bowling of the three Aktars – Marufa, Nahida and Swarna, and Bangladesh set a target of 130 runs. Bangladesh won the target with 113 balls and 7 wickets intact (131/3).
However, in the chase of the target, Bangladesh lost Farzana Haque (2) by 7 runs and Sharmin Akhtar (10) by 35 runs. After that, captain Nigar Sultana Jyoti resisted with the debutant Rubaiya Haider. They put up a 62-run partnership in 77 balls. The pair broke when Bangladesh captain Jyoti was dismissed for 23 off 44 balls by Pakistan captain Fatima Sana. Rubaiya reached 50 off 64 balls and remained unbeaten on 54. She is the third Bangladesh batsman to score a fifty on her ODI debut after Ayesha Rahman and Sharmin Akhtar Supta. Her innings played in 77 balls included 8 fours. Sobhana Mostari remained unbeaten on 24 runs off 19 balls.
Bangladesh wanted to start the Women’s ODI World Cup with a win. The bowlers performed in line with the team’s desire. Marufa took wickets in the last two balls of the first over. Omaima returned to Sohail and Sidra Amin. When these two batsmen returned to the dressing room before opening their individual runs, the scoreboard showed Pakistan women’s team’s run rate – 2 for 2!
Pakistan’s run rate slowed down due to such a blow at the beginning. Despite not losing any wickets in the first power play, only 41 runs were scored in 10 overs. After overcoming the initial shock, when the urge to get the run wheel moving, Nahida stood in the way. She dismissed Muniba Ali (17) and Ramin Sharmin (23). They added 42 runs off 63 balls for the third wicket before being dismissed.
After that, the Pakistani girls kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Batting at number 7, captain Fatima Sana scored 22 runs off 33 balls, but Pakistan’s innings was stopped at 129 runs. After Marufa Akhtar and Nahida Akhtar, another Akhtar, Swarna, took 3 wickets with her incomprehensible spin, and Pakistan was all out in 38.3 overs.
Swarna took 3 wickets in her wicket-keeping bowling; her bowling analysis—3.3-3-5-3!
