Ekta, Harmanpreet guide India to victory over Bangla eves

Ahmedabad: Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur`s valuable unbeaten half-century and left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht grabbed three wickets as India beat Bangladesh by five wickets in the first women`s ODI played here on Monday.

Opting to bat, Bangladesh scored 194 for nine in 50 overs with skipper Salma Khatun remaining not out on 75. For the Indian eves, Bisht scalped three for 27 while pacer Subhalakshmi Sharma got two wickets. In reply, an 83-run fourth wicket stand between skipper Harmanpreet (63 not out) and Anagha Deshpande (47) sealed the victory for the home team with four balls to spare. Harmanpreet anchored the innings to perfection as her 63 came off 100 deliveries with three hits to the fence. Anagha however attacked the Bangladeshi bowlers as her 47 came off only 50 balls with five boundaries. When Bangladesh batted in the morning, Rumana Ahmed (38) and Lata Mondal (39) shared a 57 run stand for the third wicket but after that save their skipper Salma, no one was able to make substantial contribution. Brief Scores: Bangaldesh 194/9 (Salma Khatun 75 no, Ekta Bisht 3/27, Subhalakshmi Sharma 2/28). India 196/9 in 49.2 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 63 no, Anagha Deshpande 47). India women win by five wickets. PTI