Pakistan thrashed the reigning champions Bangladesh by nine wickets in the second match of the Women’s Asia Cup 2022 on Monday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh started their campaign well by crushing Thailand by nine wickets. But, they met the same fate as Thailand, when the champions collapsed under pressure from Pakistan in their second game.
After two straight victories, the Women in Green now appear to be a serious threat to the rest of the teams competing in this continental tournament. In contrast, the hosts fell short in this match.
Chasing a petty target of 72, Pakistan never looked uncomfortable chasing an easy target and they foiled Bangladesh's strategy of picking up early wickets.
The first-wicket partnership of 49 runs scored by Muneeba Ali and Sidra Ameen set the tone for the rest of the innings.
With such a low total, Bangladesh had no chance of winning even after Ali was dismissed for 14. The formalities were concluded in the 13th over by Sidra Ameen (36*) and Bismah Maroof (12*).
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and sent Bangladesh to bat first.
Pakistani skipper Bismah's strategy paid off, as his team's bowlers dominated their opponents and prevented the defending champions from mounting a comeback.
It was anticipated that Bangladesh, batting first, would set a high target on the Sylhet wicket, making life difficult for Pakistan's batting lineup in the chase. However, that was not the case, as the titleholders never appeared at ease on the field and suffered a collective batting failure that prevented them from keeping the scoreboard moving.
Captain Nigar Sultana scored a sluggish 17, but the rest of the top order failed to reach double digits, and the scorecard overall looked dismal for the defending champions.
In the end, they scored 70/8 in 20 overs thanks to Salma Khatun's unbeaten 24. Diana Baig and Nida Dar both took two wickets for Pakistan, and Omaima Sohail got one too.