BD stun India to win Asia Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: Bangladesh stunned India by three wickets in a last-ball finish to win their maiden Women’s Asia Cup T20 title at the Kinrara Academy Oval here on Sunday.

Bangladesh, led by Rumana Ahmed and Khadija Tul Kubra, restricted India to 112/9 in their 20 overs and then kept their cool through a tricky chase, even as Poonam Yadav ran amok, to win off the last ball as Jahanara Alam scored the two runs needed.

Bangladesh started the chase well with Shamima Sultana (16) and Ayasha Rahman (17) adding 35 runs for the opening wicket in a shade under seven overs.Poonam then weaved her magic, getting rid of the openers off consecutive deliveries.

Fargana Hoque slammed a cracking four during her stay at the crease before Poonam struck yet again, getting rid of the Bangladesh No 4 with Taniya Bhatia taking a smart catch behind the stumps to leave Bangladesh at 55/3 in the 12th over.With the required rate rising, things started to become a tad difficult for Bangladesh but Nigar Sultana ensured there was no panic. She hit Goswami for three successive fours in an over to ease the nerves and get the rate down.

But in the last over of her spell, Poonam bowled a low dipping full toss and Nigar could only mistime it as far as Deepti Sharma at cow corner. She fell for a 24-ball 27 with Bangladesh still needing 30 to win in 28 deliveries.

Rumana kept her side in the hunt for a majority of the time despite wickets falling at the other end. It all came down to the last over with Bangladesh needing nine to win. She struck the second ball of the over for a boundary to bring the equation down to four in four, but was then run out off the penultimate ball for 23.

With Bangladesh needing two off the last ball, Jahanara Alam kept her cool to whip Harmanpreet Kaur to deep mid-wicket and spark wild celebrations in the camp.Poonam finished with incredible figures of 4-0-9-4 but it wasn’t enough to get her side over the line.

Earlier, Salma Khatun’s decision to send India in to bat was vindicated with Bangladesh reducing the Kaur-led side to 32/4 inside the first 10 overs.Smriti Mandahana was the first to fall, run out in the fourth over of the innings for 7. Sharma, batting at No 3, then paid the price for swinging across the line as she chopped Alam back on to her stumps.Just three balls later, Bangladesh got the big fish in Raj for 11. Things then went from bad to worse for the six-time champions as Anuja Patil was run out soon after.