Mithali and company start with resounding win

The Indian women’s team kicked off their World Twenty20 campaign in fine fashion with a huge 72-run victory over Bangladesh, even as the skies threatened to open up at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.

The Indians put up an all-round show as they dominated their neighbours to clinch the opening match and send out a strong warning to the other contenders.

Having run up an impressive 163/5, the Indian bowlers struck from the very beginning to keep the visitors in check as they were restricted to just 91 for 5.

Anuja Patil and Poonam Yadav led the bowling attack for the hosts picking up two wickets each. Even as the bowlers struck the fielders too rose to the occasion.

Bangladesh never got going, failing to build any worthwhile partnership. Sharmin Akhter top-scored for the visitors with 21 off 27.

Earlier, after being put into bat, skipper Mithali Raj along with opening partner Vellaswamy Vanitha laid the foundation as India posted their highest-ever T20 total.

The opening-duo was raring to go from the very beginning as they posted the highest partnership of the innings garnering 62 off 7.2 overs.

While the opening duo gave India the perfect launchpad, woman-of-the-match Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy anchored the innings with big hits towards the end to help put up a formidable total.

SCOREBOARD India women: M. Raj c Jahanara b Rumana 42, V. Vanitha b Nahida 38, S. Mandhana lbw b Fahima 0, H. Kaur c Akter b Rumana 40, V. Krishnamurthy (not out) 36, A. Patil lbw b Fahima 1, J. Goswami (not out) 3. Extras (w2, nb1) 3. Total (for 5 wkts, in 20 overs) 163.

FoW: 1-62, 2-63, 3-95, 4-136, 5-141.

Bowling: Alam 2-0-16-0, Khatun 3-0-26-0, Mondal 1-0-10-0, Nahida 4-0-25-1, Khatun 4-0-31-2, Kubra 2-0-20-0 (1w), Rumana 4-0-35-2 (1w, 1nb).

Bangladesh women: Sharmin Akhter (run out) 21, Ayasha Rahman c Yadav b Patil 4, S. Islam c Patil b Poonam 2, Rumana Ahmed c Patil b Poonam 12, N. Sultana (not out) 27, Fahima Khatun lbw b Patil 14, J. Alam (not out) 10. Extras (w1) 1. Total (for 5 wkts, in 20 overs) 91.

FoW: 1-19, 2-24, 3-35, 4-44, 5-68. Bowling: Goswami 4-0-17-0 (1w), Patil 4-0-16-2, Gayakwad 4-0-27-0, Poonam 4-0-17-2, Pandey 2-0-8-0, Kaur 2-0-6-0