Team India wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh smashed a whirlwind unbeaten 91 as India Women cricket team defeated Bangladesh by 52 runs in a warm-up match ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2022 on Wednesday (February 8). Opting to bat, India made an imposing 183 for 5 riding on Ghosh's exploits with the bat and then restricted Bangladesh to 131 for 8.


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Coming on to bat at No 4, Ghosh’s knock came off just 56 balls with the help of three boundaries and nine hits over the fence. Besides Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues made a fluent 27-ball 41 during which she hit six fours and a six.


India, however, did not have the best of starts, losing three wickets for 35 runs with Yastika Bhatia (10), U-19 T20 World Cup-winning team skipper Shafali Verma (9) and Harleen Deol (10) all departing cheaply. Ghosh then took the attack to the opposition along with Rodrigues, adding quick 92 runs for the fourth wicket to lay the platform for India's imposing total.


Left-arm spinner Nahida Akter picked up two wickets for Bangladesh. In reply, Bangladesh kept losing wickets at regular intervals and never looked to be in the hunt.


Captain Nigar Sultana top-scored with a 36-ball 40, while opener Murshida Khatun made 32. Leg-break bowler Devika Vaidya (2/21) scalped two wickets for India, while Shafali (1/13), Radha Yadav (1/17), Deepti Sharma (1/15), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (1/20) and Anjali Sarvani (1/22) picked up a wicket each.


The Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 begins in Cape Town on Friday and India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday.



Ireland Stun World Champions Australia


Orla Prendergast put on a fine all-round display as Ireland chased down 169 runs to defeat Australia by three wickets to head into the World Cup on a high. The right-arm medium-pacer dismissed opener Beth Mooney for a first-ball duck on her way to figures of two for 19 from her four overs.


Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath then combined for a 135-run stand which ended with McGrath retiring on 56 to give other batters time in the middle, with Healy following suit having reached 62. Ellyse Perry’s 40 not out from 20 balls steered Australia to 168 for three, which Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis gave Ireland a fast start in chasing down, putting on 39 runs in 3.5 overs.


Lewis’s dismissal brought Prendergast to the crease whose 26 from 15 runs gave Ireland fresh impetus before Laura Delany’s top score of 32 helped to see Ireland home with two balls to spare.


(with PTI inputs)