4 min readJul 23, 2023 09:42 AM IST
First published on: Jul 22, 2023 at 07:48 PM IST
During this month’s six-match limited overs series in Mirpur, Bangladesh women won as many matches against (2) India as they had in their entire prior cricketing history. On Saturday, they came narrowly close to another, as Fargana Hoque’s historic ton and a spirited death-overs bowling effort allowed them to tie the final ODI, and end the 50-over series level at 1-1.
Late drama ensued as a comfortable-looking India collapsed at the end, losing six wickets for just 34 runs in the final eight overs.
Fargana – the only Bangladesh women cricketer to hit 1000 runs in ODIs – became the first woman from her nation to hit a century in the 50-over format, after her 160-ball 107 led Bangladesh to a strong first-innings total of 225 in the dry, spinning conditions.
Fargana’s innings was brilliantly paced. She was happy to play second-fiddle as opening partner Shamima Sultana seemed more destructive at the start – getting just 31 off 80 in the 93-run partnership – and then accelerating later as she stayed till the end. There were only seven fours in her innings, showing how she needed to toil for runs by turning singles into doubles and finding the gaps as opposed to relying on shotmaking and power.
India faltered at the start of the run chase as Shafali Verma and Yastika Bhatia fell early, but a solid third-wicket 107-run stand between Smriti Mandhana – who recovered after having been dropped in the second over – and Harleen Deol had set up what should have been a routine chase.
Mandhana had fallen after an 85-ball 59 showing easy manipulation of the spinners and the field, one of the only innings this month where she felt at ease in the Mirpur conditions, but Deol tailored on, stitching short partnerships from there that seemed to be enough to get India over the line.
High drama came after India’s best batswoman this month, Harmanpreet Kaur, mistimed a sweep and was called leg-before off a Nahida Akter turner (she was eventually given out for being caught in slips) and smashed the stumps with her bat and went into a tirade with the umpire, protesting that there was glove on the ball before the pad. And the drama did not end there.
Deol departed after a 108-ball 77 when India were in the strong position of 191-5 in the 42nd over. Then, the side’s tendency for a late-order collapse manifested itself again. With Jemimah Rodrigues down the other end looking to bring the chase to a steady end, a stream of wickets would fall.
India would go from 191-5 to 217-9 between the 42nd and 48th over, the latter being the most dramatic of all, as Nahida would get Sneh Rana and Devika Vaidya caught and bold within three balls even as India only needed nine runs to win. Meghna Singh’s four of the last ball of the 48th promised to turn the tide but with scores level, Bangladesh were able to look to a weapon that India sorely lacked all series – a dependable fast bowler.
Marufa Akter slipped in a quick, back-of-length in-swinger, to which the Indian tailender swiped at the ball with little control and got caught behind. Scores were tied but Bangladesh celebrated like they had won the match and series, which they did well to deserve given the massive gap in talent and resources.
For India, meanwhile, lots of concerns need addressal after this tour. The confusing selection, lack of consistency in the top order and their struggles against spin, the lack of a finisher for either format, and in the injury-induced absence of Renuka Singh, a total lack of threatening fast-bowling options.
With spinning conditions expected at the Asian Games in September, in home series with South Africa, New Zealand, England, and Australia over the next six-eight months, and at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh next year, India leave the tour with more questions than answers.
The Indian and the Bangladesh captain pose with the trophy. (Twitter/BCCI Women) 
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