India started their Women’s T20 Asia Cup campaign with a comfortable 94-run win over Thailand but not before overcoming a scare.

On a track where two matches were played in two days, Thailand’s decision to send India in at the toss seemed surprising. Shafali Verma’s rollicking 36-ball 64 only added weight to the thought that Thailand let go of the best batting conditions. But once the powerplay ended, their spinners, led by legspinner Suleeporn Laomi, triggered a massive collapse. India lost eight wickets for 46 runs and could only post 159 for 9.

It did not prove costly for India as their bowlers were on the mark. Nandani Sharma and Kranti Gaud bowled incisive new-ball spells. Deepti Sharma, in her 150th T20I, picked up three wickets in seven balls without conceding a run and became the highest wicket taker in the format. Thailand were bowled out for 65.

Shafali blazes away

Smriti Mandhana started with three fours in the opening over before Shafali took over. She hit left-arm spinner Tripatcha Putthawong,  now the second-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, for two fours in each of her first two overs. Mandhana’s run-out while jogging back lazily for a second did little to dampen Shafali’s plans. She scored 33 off 17 inside the powerplay and added 53 for the second wicket with Pratika Rawal, on T20I debut.

Once the field opened up, Shafali picked her spots smartly and kept the pressure on the bowlers. She was happy to bide her time when the bowlers extracted purchase from the surface. She thrashed Laomi for a huge hit over wide long-off before taking a single for her 19th T20I fifty, in just 26 balls. At 91 for 1 in 8.5 overs, India looked well on course for a 200-plus total.

A day after head coach Amol Muzumdar said he wanted India to play aggressively, their familiar middle-order woes that resulted in two successive group-stage exits at T20 World Cups resurfaced. It started when Rawal misjudged the length after being done in the flight. She went back to a tossed-up ball by Laomi and missed the cut to be bowled. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur then couldn’t start fluently against spinners, and she ended up top-edging an attempted slog sweep off Putthawong.

Laomi then dealt a double-blow in the next over by dismissing Shafali and Richa Ghosh off successive balls. She bowled a seam-up ball that Shafali chipped back to her, while Ghosh drove one straight to extra cover. Soon it was offspinner Sunida Chaturongrattana’s turn to strike twice in three balls – Bharti Fulmali pulled a short ball straight to deep midwicket while Prema Rawat charged down and was stumped. India had lost 8 for 72 after the powerplay, and 5 for 25 after Shafali’s fall. But a boundary and a six from Gaud ensured they crossed 150.

Phannita Maya got an early chance after Deepti failed to hang on to a catch at slip off Gaud. But Nandani dismissed her in the next over. Soon N Shree Charani and Deepti got into the act, taking four wickets in four overs to quell Thailand’s hopes. Only wicketkeeper Nannapat Koncharoenkai offered resistance with 41 off 48 balls, and was the sole batter to enter double-digits. In a game where she became only the third Indian woman past 150 T20Is, it was apt that Deepti dismissed her – aided by a diving effort from Ghosh – to register India’s third-biggest win in Asia Cups.

Scores:
India Women 159 for 9 in 20 overs  (Smriti Mandhana 19, Shafali Verma 64, Pratika Rawal 22, Bharti Fulmali 13, Kranti Gaud 15*; Thipatcha Putthawong 1-37, Sunida Chaturongrattna 2-31, Suleeporn Laomi 3-26, Chanida Sutthiruang 1-13) beat Thailand Women  65 in 16.1 overs (Nannapat Koncharoenkai 41;  Kranti Gaud 1-26, Nandani Sharma 3-18, Shri Charani 2-10, Deepti Sharma 3-00)  by 94 runs

[Cricinfo]