Asian Games, cricket: India Women demolish Bangladesh to reach final
The Indian women's cricket team has advanced to the final of the 2023 Asian Games following an empathic eight-wicket triumph over Bangladesh in the semi-final. It was a one-sided affair to say the least as the Tigers were bundled out for just 51 while batting first in Hangzhou. India chased down the target with ease. Here are the key stats.
How did the game pan out?
Pacer Pooja Vastrakar ran through Bangladesh's top order, dismissing both openers in the first over. The Tigers could not recover from the jolt and lost wickets at regular intervals. Skipper Nigar Sultana (12) was the only batter to enter double digits. Chasing 52, India got home in 8.2 overs as Shafali Verma (17) and Jemimah Rodrigues (20*) made handy contributions.
Career-best figures for Vastrakar
Vastrakar made the ball talk and claimed 4/17 in four overs, her maiden four-wicket haul in WT20Is. She dismissed Bagladesh's top-three batters in the powerplay overs before sending Ritu Moni (8) on the final ball of her spell. The 23-year-old has now raced to 35 wickets in 52 WT20Is (ER: 6.03). She now has six wickets in as many WT20Is against Bangladesh (ER: 5.78).
Third-lowest WT20I score against India
Notably, Bangladesh recorded the third-lowest WT20I score against India, where all 10 wickets have fallen. Malaysia (27) and Thailand (37) occupy the top-two places. Bangladesh's previous lowest total against India came in 2016 (54). Meanwhile, this was also Bangladesh's fifth-lowest total in WT20Is. 30 versus Pakistan, 32 versus New Zealand, 44 versus Pakistan, and 46 versus West Indies are Bangladesh's top-four lowest scores.
