Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh steal the show
The toss went UAE's way, and Esha Oza elected to field first. Her decision soon looked like a poor one, as Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put the bowling attack to the sword. They took 15 runs off the second over of the innings and 12 off the third, despite losing Mandhana to Kavisha Egodage in the latter.
Read more: Shreyanka Patil ruled out of Asia Cup
Shafali made full use of the fielding restrictions and some poor bowling to plunder three more boundaries, off Heena Hotchandani and Samaira Dharnidharka. She eventually fell to the latter, under-edging through to keeper Theertha Satish. India finished the Powerplay at 56-3, after No.3 Dayalan Hemalatha was bowled by Hotchandani.
ICYMI India started their Asia Cup campaign with an easy win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, chasing down 109 in 14.1 overs. 🙌
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 20, 2024
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That dismissal brought together the pair of Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Mixing rotation of the strike with the odd boundary, they managed to maintain a run rate of nine an over before Rodrigues was dismissed for 14, holing out at mid-off. They had put on 56 for the fourth wicket, and Rodrigues was replaced by Richa Ghosh.
Ghosh started briskly, getting to 14 off 7 balls with a four and a six. In the 15th over of the innings, she went up a notch, hitting Esha Oza for four boundaries. The runs soon started to flow from both ends as Harmanpreet got in on the act, taking 16 runs off Dharnidharka in the 19th over to become the second-highest run-scorer in women's T20 internationals.
India breach 200 for the first time in T20Is
The final over of the innings saw her run out at the non-striker's end off the first ball, after she attempted a single but was sent back by Ghosh. Thereafter, India's wicketkeeper took over, slamming five boundaries in a row to bring up her maiden fifty in T20Is and help India post 201-5, the first time they have crossed 200 in women's T20 internationals.
A brilliant hundred from Harry Brook 👏
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 21, 2024
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Already up against it in the run chase, UAE were unable to put up much of a fight. The Powerplay saw just 31 runs scored, along with the losses of Theertha Satish and Rinitha Rajith. India's bowlers then put on the squeeze in the middle overs and despite fighting knocks from Esha Oza (38) and Kavisha Egodage (40*), UAE never got close to the target, eventually finishing on 123-7.
Result: India 201-5 (Harmanpreet Kaur 66, Richa Ghosh 64*) beat UAE 123-7 (Kavisha Egodage 40*, Deepti Sharma 2-23) by 78 runs.
Watch the highlights of IND v UAE here
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