Jahanara Alam, Salma Khatun guide Bangladesh to T20 Quadrangular Series win

Bowling is an underestimated facet in cricket, more so in T20 cricket. However, when a team registers victory on the basis of their bowling performance, like Bangladesh did on Wednesday (January 22), it shows how important aspect it is in the sport. India B were confined to being runners-up by Bangladesh, who overcame their batting failure to win the T20 Quadrangular series at the Urja Stadium in Patna.

Bowlers ruled the roost in the final match of the competition, despite Simran Dil Bahadur being taken for ten runs in the opening over. Bangladesh brought the experience of playing international cricket to the fore as Murshida Khatun and Sanjida Islam went about with their business after the fall of Shamima Sultana (13).

The pair added 60 runs for the second wicket taking 52 balls for the same. Boundaries seemed hard to come by as Murshida as well as Islam hit just three fours apiece. They fell in the space of two balls to Nupur Kohale for 34 runs each. That meant that despite the reasonably good start, Bangladesh were in a mush – at three for 86 in 14 overs.

That’s when India B bowlers came into the game and tightened the screws. Tanuja Kanwer was at the fore of that middle-order slowdown, picking up three for 14 in her spell, including picking three wickets – Fargana Hoque (three), Sobhana Mostary (one) and Fahima Khatun (zero) – in the space of seven balls. Her efforts and Kohale’s two wickets meant that Bangladesh were kept to seven for 117, which seemed achievable.

But not for nothing is the Bangladesh bowling considered to be their strength. Jahanara Alam began with two wicket maidens – sending back Sabbineni Meghana, who had successive fifties in the previous games, for a blob and then accounting for Shivali Shinde for one. From the other end, Salma Khatun knocked Yastika Bhatia’s stumps for one to leave India B reeling at three down for just two.

Nahida Akhter then got into the act and sent back captain Sneh Rana for seven as India B were four down for 25 at the end of the power play. Tejal Hasabnis batted steadily from one end, making 34 in 33 balls, before falling to Khadija Tul Kubra.

Kanwer stayed unbeaten in the end on 21 off just 16 balls, but the ask was too much for her as well as India B, who fell short by 14 runs.

Komal Zanzad on the field. © Komal Zanzad/Facebook

Earlier in the day, Komal Zanzad picked up four wickets for just seven runs against Thailand to ensure India A finally got a win. That and the tournament result, wherein they finished last, meant that the preparations were far from ideal for the newest entrants to the T20 World Cup 2020.

Nattaya Boochatham, who had a new opening partner instead of Natakkan Chantham, was dismissed on the tenth ball of the game for just five and that perhaps set the tone for their batting, as none of the Thailand batters could stay in the middle and score runs. Chantham, who scored fifties in two consecutive matches before this, made only nine after coming in at no.5. They were bowled out for 45, with Nannapat Koncharoenkai’s 12 being the only two-digit score in their innings.

While Zanzad caught them off-guard with her left-arm seam, Sushree Dibyadarshini weaved her magic with the spin, picking up three wickets in the process.

In reply, India A got home by seven wickets with 47 balls to spare. Despite having to defend a low score, Boochatham picked up one wicket and gave away just ten runs in her four overs.

Brief Scores:

Thailand 45 all out in 13.5 overs (Nannapat Koncharoenkai 12; Komal Zanzad 4/7, Sushree Dibyadarshini 3/3) lost to India A 46/3 in 12.1 overs (Madhuri Meheta 21*; Nattaya Boochatham 1/10, Ratanaporn Padunglerd 1/16) by seven wickets.

Bangladesh 117/7 in 20 overs (Sanjida Islam 34, Murshida Khatun 34; Tanuja Kanwer 3/14, Nupur Kohale 2/18) beat India B 103/8 in 20 overs (Tejal Hasabnis 34, Tanuja Kanwer 21*; Jahanara Alam 2/17, Salma Khatun 2/18) by 14 runs.