Indian eves go one up in T20I series

Sylhet: Sylhet: Pace duo of Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar shared five wickets as India produced a clinical bowling display to outclass Bangladesh by 44 runs in the opening women's T20I here on Sunday.

Opting to bat, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia provided solidity in the middle order but India missed the late flourish to end up with 145/7.

The hosts must have fancied their chances of chasing down the total but Indian bowlers led by Renuka delivered the goods to limit Bangladesh to 101/8.

Skipper Nigar Sultana waged a lonely battle with a 51 off 48 but didn't get any support from the other end.

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 the fifth over.

Experienced spinner Deepti Sharma then removed Murshida Khatun (13) LBW, while Vastrakar rapped Fahima Khatun (1) on the pads in the seventh over to leave the hosts reeling at 30/4.

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.

Yastika (36 off 29 balls) and Harmappreet (30 off 22) came up with a 45-run partnership as the Indian 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.

Richa Ghosh made 23 off 17 balls, while debutant S Sajana scored a run-a-ball 11.

The scond game of the five-match series will be played on Tuesday.