In a historic showdown, Bangladesh's fast-bowler Marufa Akter and leg-spinner Rabeya Khan led their team to a momentous victory, securing their first-ever One Day International (ODI) win against India. The electrifying match took place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, leaving cricket enthusiasts in awe of the young talents' remarkable performances.
Electing to bowl first, India's debutant Amanjot demonstrated her prowess by taking four wickets, restricting Bangladesh to 152 runs in 43 overs. However, due to a two-hour rain interruption, the game was reduced to 44 overs per side.
Chasing a revised target of 154 runs according to the DLS method, Bangladesh's Marufa Akter proved to be a formidable force, claiming crucial wickets at the start and middle overs, finishing with impressive figures of 4-29. Not to be outdone, Rabeya Khan contributed significantly with her leg-spin, taking 3-30. As a result of their extraordinary bowling display, India's innings came to an end with a score of just 113 runs in 35.3 overs.
India's batters struggled on the slow and turning pitch, failing to maintain their stronghold in the match. Despite a promising start by Smriti Mandhana, who began with two pulled fours through midwicket off Marufa, the pacer retaliated by dismissing Smriti with a skillful delivery that resulted in a catch behind the stumps.
Further adding to India's woes, Marufa claimed the wicket of Priya Punia, and left-arm spinner Nahida Akter trapped captain Harmanpreet Kaur lbw. Bangladesh's Rabeya continued to dominate, castling Yastika Bhatia and sending Jemimah Rodrigues back to the pavilion after mistiming her pull to mid-on.
Amanjot and Deepti Sharma managed to form a partnership, attempting to revive India's chances. However, Marufa's reintroduction to the attack in the 29th over proved decisive. She dismissed Amanjot and then delivered a devastating inswinging yorker that dismantled Sneh Rana's stumps for a golden duck. Rabeya followed up with Deepti's dismissal, completing a team hat-trick that caused India's middle-order to crumble.
Bangladesh's fielding was equally outstanding, with Pooja Vastrakar getting caught behind off Nigar Sultana's bowling, and Anusha Bareddy being run-out. These collective efforts led to one of Bangladesh's most unforgettable moments on the field.
Earlier in the match, the toss was delayed by 20 minutes due to a wet outfield, and the start time was pushed back by an additional 10 minutes. Bangladesh faced an early setback in their chase when Sharmin Akter was run-out for a duck after facing 18 balls.
Amanjot struck again, taking the wicket of Murshida Khatun at mid-off in the very next over. However, Nigar Sultana and Fargana Hoque battled on and managed a 49-run partnership, although rain disrupted their flow.
Following the resumption of play, India's Amanjot continued to impress, claiming Fargana's wicket with a caught-behind. Ritu Moni's mistimed pull off leg-spin all-rounder Devika Vaidya further added to Bangladesh's woes. Amanjot's brilliance continued as she dismissed Nigar lbw and then had Rabeya caught at cover, completing an impressive four-wicket haul.
Despite their struggles, Bangladesh found a savior in Sultana Khatun, who hit a few boundaries off Pooja's bowling to push Bangladesh past the 100-run mark. However, Devika soon castled Sultana, and Bangladesh's innings concluded at 152, with debutant Shorna Akter absent hurt.
The nail-biting match was a testament to the remarkable talent of Bangladesh's young bowlers, Marufa Akter and Rabeya Khan. Their outstanding performances secured a historic victory against India, marking a moment of pride for Bangladesh in the world of cricket.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 152 in 43 overs (Nigar Sultana 39, Fargana Hoque 27; Amanjot Kaur 4-31, Devika Vaidya 2-36) beat India 113 in 35.5 overs (Deepti Sharma 20, Marufa Akter 4-29, Rabeya Khan 3-30) by 40 runs via DLS method