In the first semi-final of the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup, India faced Bangladesh and chased down the target of 81 with 54 balls to spare, securing a dominant 10-wicket victory and a ninth consecutive spot in the Women’s Asia Cup final. India’s Renuka Singh Thakur and captain Harmanpreet Kaur talked about their bowling unit’s performance against Bangladesh.
This ninth edition of the tournament, held from July 19 to July 28, 2024, in Sri Lanka, features eight teams and is played in the T20 format as preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Renuka Singh Thakur, a right-arm medium-fast bowler, was named Player of the Match for her impressive 3/10 in the powerplay, which played a crucial role in restricting Bangladesh to 80/8.
Renuka Singh Thakur expressed her happiness, stating that it was a big match for them and performing well felt good. She emphasized focusing on the basics and executing the preparations made the previous day. Renuka noted that the wind blowing across the field provided significant assistance, and she enjoyed bowling with the new ball early in her spell. She was pleased with all her wickets, feeling rewarded for her hard work.
“I am very happy. It was a big match for us and to do well is a good feeling. The idea is to work on the basics. I executed what we prepared yesterday. Got a lot of help from the wind blowing across. I like bowling with the new ball and got to bowl my spell early. I was happy with all my wickets because you get rewarded for your work,” said Renuka.
India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised the bowlers for executing the team’s strategy as discussed in their meetings, expressing pride in their performance. She acknowledged the pressure on the team due to their dominance in Asian cricket but emphasized their commitment to maintaining their high standards. Kaur highlighted the rigorous preparation in the nets, which helps them handle pressure during matches. She credited the bowlers for their consistent positive approach, hitting the right lines and lengths, and boosting her confidence.
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Quoting Kaur, “Our bowlers did a great job. Did what we spoke about in the team meetings. Proud of our bowling. A lot of pressure on us, because we have been dominating Asian cricket.” She stated, “We want to keep doing what we are doing for a long time. We prepare ourselves very hard in nets so that when we go out there, we don’t feel pressure. Every day, the bowlers are coming up with a positive approach. They are hitting the right lines and lengths, and they give me confidence.”
Kaur further highlighted that consistency remains crucial for the team, and that they are prepared to face either Pakistan or Sri Lanka in the final, depending on the outcome of the upcoming match.
“Consistency is important for us, we just want to keep doing well. Any team works (on facing either Pakistan or Sri Lanka in the final); we will watch tonight and whoever is there, we’ll prepare well,” Kaur said in the post-match presentation.
Tournament hosts Sri Lanka, with a 3-wicket win off the final ball in a thrilling semi-final against Pakistan, secured their spot in the final against India. With both India and Sri Lanka unbeaten in the competition, the final promises to be another closely contested match, scheduled for 3:00 PM IST on the 28th of July 2024.