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Dumbulla [Sri Lanka], July 26: Renuka Singh Thakur on Friday expressed satisfaction with her performance in the Women's Asia Cup semi-final against Bangladesh in Dumbulla.
Her precise and well-executed spell played a crucial role in dismantling Bangladesh's top order, showcasing her skill and preparation. Thakur bowled three overs in the powerplay and removed Bangladesh's top three batters, including Dilara Akter (6), Murshida Khatun (4) and Ishma Tanjim (8). "I am very happy," Thakur said in the post-match presentation reflecting on the importance of the game. "It was a big match for us and to do well is a good feeling," she added. Thakur credited her success to sticking to her fundamentals. "The idea is to work on the basics. I executed what we prepared yesterday," she explained. The bowler also noted the impact of the conditions on her performance. "I got a lot of help from the wind blowing across," she said, acknowledging how the weather aided her efforts. Additionally, Renuka shared her preference for bowling with the new ball. "I love to bowl with the new ball," she stated, underscoring her comfort and effectiveness in those early overs. Radha Yadav also claimed three wickets in the first semi-final, to completely derail Bangladesh's innings, she took the wicket of the Bangladesh captain. India has entered the final for the ninth time in the tournament by outplaying Bangladesh in all facets of the game at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. The 2018 champions tottered to find any sort of momentum on their side, but all of their efforts eventually went in vain. Chasing a paltry target of 81, the Indian opening duo went all guns blazing right from the first over. While Bangladesh suffered on the batting surface, Indian players thrived on the same pitch, making it feel like a different venue for batters. Smriti Mandhana continued to assert her dominance by dealing with boundaries. Shafali Verma rotated the strike and allowed her partner to spread carnage in Dambulla. Mandhana struck back-to-back fours off Nahida Akter and raised her bat for her 25th half-century in the T20I format. India capped off their impressive display by chasing the target with nine overs to spare. Mandhana and Shafali went unbeaten with scores of 55* and 26* respectively. (ANI)
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