Rampant India down gritty Bangladesh to book final berth

Deepti Sharma took three wickets after Shafali Verma smashed a fifty as India defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs in their Women's Asia Cup semi-final in Dubai.

After setting a tough target of 150, India restricted Bangladesh to 109/7 to book their berth in the final of continental showpiece.

Bangladesh began the chase slowly but confidently. They added 26 for the first wicket to keep Indian bowlers at bay.

India were looking desperate to break the partnership. Shree Charani gave India the first breakthrough by getting rid of Juairiya Ferdous. Dilara Akter was the next to follow as Bangladesh lost two wickets with in a space of eight runs.

Sobhana Mostary and Nigar Sultana added 30 runs for the fourth wicket to keep the chase alive.

Deepti again struck as she rattled the stumps of Sobhana to pick up the second wicket and give India a much-needed breakthrough. After that, Bangladesh kept on losing the wickets at regular intervals. Every time they made a stride forward they were pegged back by two by the Indian bowlers.

Captain Nigar Sultana became the victim of Rawat after adding 10 runs to the total. Bangladesh batters played defensively as they consumed too many deliveries.

At one stage the equation came down to 60 needed off 16 balls. Shorna Akter and Fahima Khatun did try to revive the chase but it was too late as India completed the formalities by beating Bangladesh by 40 runs.

Earlier, India were off to a nervy start as Bangladesh pacers tested the Indian openers with swing and pace.

Marufa Akter hit the deck hard and got the ball to move in either direction. Shafali Varma was beaten outside the off stumps twice.

Shafali got a thick outside edge, luckily there was no slip. In the second over, off-spinner Sultana Khatun lured Smriti Mandhana with a flighted delivery. She could not resist the temptation and played a lofted shot.

But Smriti top-edged the ball and Shorna Akter completed a clear catch. This was India's slowest start in the tournament so far. Bangladesh failed to keep the pressure intact.

A sloppy Bangladesh fielding allowed India to get away with it. India would have been three for 10 had Bangladesh not dropped the catches.

Shafali was riding on her luck. She got four reprieves in her fifty runs. She was dropped twice in the beginning of the innings. She tried to go over the long-on in the second over.

The ball went high up in the air. Fahima Khatoon came under the ball but ended up dropping it. In the third over, she was dropped again at the boundary line.

She tried to go over the top but failed to connect it properly.

After getting two chances early in the innings, Shafali grew in confidence. She tried to take the pressure off by playing aggressively.

She hit two consecutive sixes off Sultana in the fourth over to ease the pressure, collecting 14 runs off the over.

However, Nahida Akter and Rabeya Khan bowled three tight overs.

They conceded five and six runs off fifth and sixth overs respectively as India reached 45/1 at the end of powerplay.

Nahida turned the ball like a master craftsman and kept the Indian batters under check. She gave away just four runs off the eighth over to completely choke the flow of runs.

Pratika Rawal and Shafali added 50 runs for the second wicket in seven overs. Pratika was found struggling during her stay. She scored a watchful 24-ball 20, but she never looked comfortable.

The drop in the run rate prompted Indian batters to take aerial routes. Pratika tried to clear the mid off. She came down the track but could not get to the pitch of the ball.

She played it early, away from her body and scooped a simple catch to Dilara, who after a wobble took the catch.

Shafali and Harmanpreet combined to take the match forward. They kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and doubles.

Shafali reached the 22nd fifty of her career with a single off 35 balls. After reaching fifty, she tried to cut loose to accelerate the run rate.

She survived a run out before she got another life line when Shorna not only put down a simple catch but parried the ball over the ropes.

Sultana bounced back to take revenge after being hit for two successive fours. She bowled a fuller and Shafali could not get quite under the ball. She miscued the shot and was finally taken.

After that Harmanpreet shared a couple of partnerships with Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma as India reached 149/6.