India were pushed hard but they showed their class when it mattered most to prevail in their second ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh on Monday.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s side made it two wins from two matches as Poonam Yadav (3/18) continued her wicket-taking exploits in the 18-run win over Bangladesh at the WACA in Perth.
Shafali Verma and Yadav shone on the opening-night victory against Australia and the pair were at it again on Monday.
Verma’s lightning start saw India produce the biggest total and powerplay of the tournament, her 17-ball 39 the leading performance while Veda Krishnamurthy struck late boundaries in their 142/6.
Bangladesh fought hard with Nigar Sultana Joty (35) and Murshida Khatun (30) top-scoring with the bat.
But Yadav picked up where she left off in Sydney to finish with a superb spell, with contributions from Shikha Pandey (2/14) and Arundathi Reddy (2/33) seeing Bangladesh finish at 124/8.
“Winning two from two is great for us,” said Pandey after the match. “We are not really thinking about what’s happened before. Whether we win or lose, we are taking the positives and thinking about the game ahead.
“We thought we had a good score to defend because we believe in our bowling department. We knew it would be a tough target for them to reach. Veda is one of the most experienced players in the team and the runs she can get in the last overs really make a difference to us. I’m pleased for her because it will be great for her confidence.”
Here are highlights from India’s victory against Bangladesh:
(With inputs from ICC Media Zone)