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In the absence of regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana took charge as the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team for their first game against Malaysia at the Asian Games.
The match took place at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou and India performed exceptionally well, scoring a massive total of 173 runs in just 15 overs. The Malaysian bowling attack was ordinary, and their poor fielding also contributed to India’s success.
The opening partnership between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana was quick and fruitful. Mandhana got out for 27 off 16, but Verma continued her impressive form and scored 67 off just 39. Jemimah Rodrigues also played well, adding 47 runs to the team’s total in just 29 balls. The innings concluded with a brilliant cameo from Richa Ghosh, who scored 21 runs off just seven balls.
Unfortunately, there was a rain break during the innings, which resulted in the reduction of overs to 15. As the second inning began, rain started pouring heavily, and only two deliveries were bowled before the match was washed out. India advanced to the semi-finals due to their strong performance in the first innings and a higher seeding than Malaysia. The Indian women’s team will play the winner of the Bangladesh versus Hong Kong clash, scheduled on September 22, in the semi-finals on September 24th.
Pakistani team also had their first match of the tournament against Indonesia Women scheduled in Quarter Final 2. However, this match was also affected by rain and had to be cancelled. Despite the cancellation, the Pakistani team managed to secure a spot in the semifinals based on their higher seeding than their opponents. Pakistan will play the second semi-final on September 24 against the winner of the Sri Lanka versus Thailand game on September 22.
Indian Men’s team is also set to take part in the event:
The men’s event will feature 15 teams competing for the top medal, starting on September 27. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have already secured their spots in the quarterfinals based on their ICC rankings. The remaining 11 teams will compete for the remaining four spots in the quarterfinals, with only the group winners advancing to the next stage of the competition.
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