Day 3 of the T20 Quadrangular series in Patna witnessed the semi-final clash between India A and India B. India B continued their good form and defeated India A by 7 wickets making their way to the finals.
Earlier in the day, India A opted to bat first. Openers Priya Punia and Madhuri Mehta fell cheaply on scores of 5 and 11 while the next two batters managed meager 5 and 3 runs. While India B bowlers Tanuja Kanwar and Tanusree Sarkar sent the openers packing, it was Delhi girl Simran Dil Bahadur who picked up two crucial wickets in the middle overs to rattle out India A’s batting lineup.
Bharti Fulmali contributed vital 26 runs in the middle to steady the innings, while wicketkeeper batter R.Kalpana chipped in essential 24 runs lower down the order.
India A could only manage a meager total of 97 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs.
Sabbhineni Meghana turned out to be the architect of India B’s victory. She laid the foundation for the chase with a half-century. She cruised to 50 from 57 balls and was ably supported by Yastika Bhatia from the other end, who made 19 runs also hitting the only six of the match.
Captain Sneh Rana steadily made 14 from 21 deliveries in the middle overs but was bowled by Renuka Singh in the 16th over. Tanusree Sarkar, who was brilliant with the ball in the first innings, provided the finishing touches. India B sealed the match with 12 balls remaining and 7 wickets in hand.
It turned out to be a good day in the office for India B while India A seem to have a lot to reflect on. A recurring problem is a top-order which often crumbles like a pack of cards. Also, star batswoman Priya Punia didn’t have any memorable outing throughout the tournament.
India A still have a chance to redeem themselves as they vie for the third spot against Thailand.
While India B will now take on Bangladesh in the final on Wednesday i.e. January 22.
Brief Scores:
India A: 97/7 (20)
India B: 101/3 (18)
Result: India B won by 7 wickets
