Bangkok, Feb 22: Tejal Hasanbis made an impactful 51 not out off 34 balls on a slow turner before leg-spinner Prema Rawat made the ball talk as India A outplayed Bangladesh A by a whopping 46 runs in a low-scoring final to defend the ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars here on Sunday.
At 44 for four, India were in trouble but Hasanbis, who has played ODIs for India, and captain Radha Yadav, another international, (36 off 30) shared an 89-run stand for the fifth wicket to lift their team to 134 for seven in 20 overs.
Considering conditions and strength of Indian bowling attack, the Radha-led side comfortably defended by bowling out Bangladesh for 88 in 19.1 overs.
The star with the ball was Prema (3/12 in four overs), who was part of RCB’s triumphant campaign in the recently played Women’s Premier League. She gave the ball plenty of flight and got enough purchase off the surface.
Bangladesh were never in the run chase having lost their first wicket for 12 runs in the third over.
The procession started when Ishma Tanjim was caught off pacer Saima Thakor after unsuccessfully charging down the pitch.
Prema got her wicket with a classical leg-break that bounced a tad extra to take the outside edge of Shamima Sultana.
Even in the inaugural final of the tournament in 2023, India A had got the better of Bangladesh A.
Batting first, India A felt the pressure on a trick surface but Hasanbis showed plenty of skill and character to bail her team out of trouble. She batted at a strike rate of 150.00, much higher than the rest of the batters in the game to make a decisive difference.
While the top four hardly contributed for India A, Hasanbis was able to clear the ropes twice with Radha providing much needed support at the end. (PTI)
