Women’s T20 Challenger: All-round effort with the ball takes India A to the final

India A qualified for the final of the Women’s T20 Challenger with a seven-wicket win over India D in a low-scoring contest. The two teams will meet again in the final as India B’s exciting four-wicket win over India C wasn’t enough to take the team to the final.

Sahana Pawar, Anjali Sarvani and Amanjot Kaur and Saika Ishaque, the four bowlers who rattled India-D on Thursday. | Photo Credit: P. K. Ajith Kumar

They hunted in a pack.

Fine spells from medium-pacers Anjali Sarvani and Amanjot Kaur and spinners Sahana Pawar and Saika Ishaque — they picked up eight wickets together — but took India A to the final as India D fell to a seven-wicket defeat.

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In that final to be played on Saturday, the two teams will come face to face once again as India B’s exciting four-wicket win – with just a ball to spare – against India C wasn’t enough for a berth in the final. In the three-way tie, India D and India A had better net run rates.

THE SCORES

India D 92 in 19.4 overs (Ashwani 31) lost to India A 95 for 3 in 18.1 overs

India C 140 for 6 in 20 overs (Simran 32, Deepti 3 for 39, Arundhanti 3 for 28) lost to India B 141 for 6 in 19.5 overs (Devika 41 n.o.)

Devika Vaidya of India B at Raipur. | Photo Credit: P.K. AJITH KUMAR

India C lost all its matches, but it may have fancied its chances after posting 140 for six, a more-than-decent total. A fine, fighting knock from Devika Vaidya (41 n.o., 27b, 6x4), however, dashed those hopes.

Left-arm seamer Komal Zanzad struck twice in her second over – her first victim was the dangerous Shafali Verma – to derail India B’s chase at the beginning. But, useful knocks from skipper Deepti Sharma (26, 18b) and Humaira Kazi (20, 20b) kept their side very much in the game.

Then Nishu Choudhary (24, 15b) lent excellent support to Devika. The pair added 36 crucial runs for the sixth wicket. Two runs were required off the last two balls when wicketkeeper Tania Bhatia hit Saranya Gadwal for a couple over the packed in-field on the off-side.