Dambulla, July 21 (IANS): Captain Harmanpreet Kaur hit her 12th T20I fifty, while wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh got her first half-century in the format to carry India to a massive 201/5 against UAE in their second 2024 Women’s Asia Cup match at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
On a fresh pitch with wind blowing across, India were in early trouble after losing three wickets in power-play. But Harmanpreet’s 66 off 47 balls, laced with seven fours and a six, steadied India’s ship. It was followed by Richa applying perfect finishing touches with a whirlwind 64 not out off 29 balls, laced with 12 fours and a six, including hitting 37 runs off the last two overs.
Harmanpreet and Richa added 75 runs off 45 balls for the fifth wicket stand, as India made a 200+ total for the first time in women’s T20Is. Their score of 201/5 is now the highest ever score in the history of Women's Asia Cup in T20 format, surpassing the 181/4 which was also hit by India against Malaysia in 2022.
Pushed into batting first, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma hit three boundaries collectively in the first two overs. But in a bid to loft the ball against Kavisha Egodage, Smriti mistimed her shot and was caught by mid-off in the third over.
Shafali went after UAE's bowling by slog-sweeping and slapping Kavisha for a six and four respectively, followed by collecting three more boundaries in quick succession. But while pulling on a short and wide ball against Samaira Dharnidharka in the fifth over, Shafali got the bottom edge and was caught by the keeper.
Dayalan Hemalatha fell without doing much in last over of power-play – going back to pull Heena Hotchandani, but was beaten for pace and castled. Harmanpreet got three leg-side boundaries, apart from opening her bat face late to get one through the off-side to bring up the half-century of her stand with Jemimah Rodrigues, who was constantly rotating strike.
Though Jemimah fell by lobbing a fuller ball to mid-off against Kavisha, Richa ensured that India didn’t let go of its good tempo. She straightaway got into the boundary-hitting spree by driving Esha Oza for four, followed by lofting Kavisha over long-off for six.
The big over which India were looking for came in the 15th over when Richa pierced the off-side gap, followed by driving, pulling, and square-driving to hit four boundaries in an 18-run over. Richa and Harmanpreet continued to hit boundaries easily before the latter reached her fifty in 41 balls.
Harmanpreet then took two fours and a six off Samaira in the 19th over, before being run-out for 66 in the final over. Richa unleashed her big-hitting in the last over by hitting five successive boundaries off Heena, one of which got her a maiden half-century in T20Is in 26 balls, as India also got to a 200+ total for the first time.
Brief Scores: India 201/5 (Harmanpreet Kaur 66, Richa Ghosh 64 not out; Kavisha Egodage 2-36) against UAE