Curated By: Aakash Biswas
Last Updated: September 21, 2023, 11:17 IST
Shafali Verma top-scored with 39-ball 67
Team India scored an imposing 173 for 2; courtesy of Shafali Varma’s blistering half-century followed by Jemimah Rodrigues’ 29-ball-47 and a 7-ball-21 cameo by Richa Ghosh.
The Indian Women’s Cricket Team stormed into the Asian Games 2022 semi-finals by virtue of better ICC rankings after Thursday’s quarter-final was abandoned due to rain. The clash against Malaysia Women was reduced to 15 over-a-side affair after the first rain break. As the play resumed, Team India scored an imposing 173 for 2; courtesy of Shafali Varma’s blistering half-century followed by Jemimah Rodrigues’ 29-ball-47 and a 7-ball-21 cameo by Richa Ghosh.
It was going to be next to impossible for Malaysia to even think of surpassing the 100-run mark let alone chase the target, which was revised to 177 as per the DLS method. Malaysia played only two deliveries before heavy rain played spoilsport and the match had to be called off.
On a slow deck, Malaysia skipper Winifred Duraisingam elected to field and her team did let her down due to sloppy fielding as they dropped a few catches. The lack of pace in their deliveries forced Shafali to walk down the track in order to meet the ball early.
Mandhana, at the other end, got some full-tosses which were dispatched to all corners of the ground. However, she was dismissed after the opening pair got 59 within the Powerplay when she tried to pull a delivery, which was bowled slightly on the fuller side from spinner Mahira Izzati Ismail.
Meanwhile, Shafali bullied an inexperienced Malaysian attack with a sparkling 39-ball-67. Her innings had five sixes apart and four boundaries. Jemimah Rodrigues also looked in good touch as she got six boundaries and added 86 for the second wicket with Shafali.
Shafali was also hit on her right forearm when she couldn’t evade a powerful bowler’s back-drive by Rodrigues and needed an urgent taping. She got a reprieve in the deep off Mas Elysa’s bowling but immediately after that was caught plumb in front.
Richa came in and blasted four boundaries in the 15th and final over of the innings which took India past the 170-run mark.
India are top-seeded Asian team in the competition as per their ICC ranking on
