Twitter Reactions: India defeat Thailand to seal Women's Asia Cup finals berth for record eighth time
A comprehensive effort by the players helped India win the first semi-final by 74 runs.
The much anticipated first semi-final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2022 took place between India and Thailand at the Sylhet International Stadium in Bangladesh. While India had become the first team to qualify for the big stage, Thailand made a surprise entry into the top four. But six-time champions India put curtains on their dream run and sailed through to the finals for a record eighth time.
The game started with Thailand winning the toss and putting India to bat first. India had a good start as seasoned openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana got into the business as soon as they entered the field. Thailand got the first breakthrough within the powerplay when Phannita Maya dismissed Mandhana. Verma was quick in scoring runs and carried the game forward before losing her wicket to Sornnarin Tippoch in the 10th over.
Tippoch went on to add two more wickets under her belt when she scalped the Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh. Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues added some good runs on board before losing their respective wickets, and Kaur anchored the innings in the middle overs. Pooja Vastrakar’s cameo in the final few overs helped India reach 148/6 at the end of the innings.
Indian bowlers shine, seal the finals berth for the team
Thailand’s chase did not start the way they had planned, as Deepti Sharma got India the early breakthrough by dismissing the opening batters inside the powerplay. Thailand batters could not gain momentum, and Indian bowlers restricted them from hitting the big shots. Radha Yadav stepping out every now and then gave Thailand multiple opportunities to hit in the form of free hits, but they could not capitalize on it.
Skipper Naruemol Chaiwai and Nattaya Boochatham built a partnership in the middle, but they still could not get anywhere close to the required target. Wickets kept falling in the end, and Thailand’s batting unit came crashing down. As a result, India moved into the finals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2022 for the eighth consecutive time by defeating Thailand by a whopping 74 runs.
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