NAVI MUMBAI: With just three days to go before their 2025 Women's ODI World Cup semifinal clash against mighty Australia at the DY Patil Stadium , India have suffered a big injury scare to one of their key players in the last league match of the tournament, against Bangladesh at the same venue on Sunday, which was abandoned due to unrelenting unseasonal rain.
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Opener Pratik Rawal, who has been the second-highest run-getter for India after her senior opening partner Smriti Mandhana , having scored 308 runs in six matches@51.33, including a half-century against Australia and a 134-ball 122 against New Zealand in the last match, twisted her ankle in the 21st over of Bangladesh's innings while she fell while charging towards the ball at long-on. While she wasn't stretchered away, the 25-year-old was helped off the field by her teammates, and was somehow able to walk, which means that it's perhaps not a fracture.
The BCCI soon put out an update about her injury, which read: “Team India all-rounder Pratika Rawal sustained an injury to her knee and ankle while fielding in the first innings against Bangladesh. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring her progress.”
With Pratika injured, it was allrounder Amanjot Kaur (15 not out) who opened India's innings with Mandhana (34 not out, 27b, 6x4s), as India, asked to chase 126 in 27 overs as per the D/L method in a rain-curtailed match, reached 57 for no loss in in the ninth over before rain interrupted the match for the fifth and last time.
India will bank heavily on Mandhana and Pratika's hugely consistent opening partnership if they are hoping to upset Australia's applecart in the semis clash. This is the second injury to a gun player in the Indian camp - explosive ‘keeper-bat Richa Ghosh, who hurt her finger in the 55-run win over New Zealand at this venue, and was rested for the match, with Uma Chetry making her WODI debut.
The 23-year-old Chetry is now the first woman cricketer from Assam and the Northeast region to play for India in the Women's World Cup .
India will hope that both Pritika and Richa recover in time for the semis clash.
Radha Yadav takes 3-30 to restrict Bangladesh to 119/9
Meanwhile, playing her first game in the tournament, left-arm spinner Radha Yadav utilised the opportunity with both hands, taking three for 30 in six overs to help India restrict Bangladesh to 119 for nine in 27 overs after asking them to bat first. Proving her worth as perhaps the best fielder in the side, Radha also pulled off a superb direct hit at the non-striker's end to run out captain Nigar Sultana (nine off 24 balls).
Resuming their innings at 39 for two in 12.2 overs after a 135-minute long rain break, Bangladesh collapsed swiftly, losing seven wickets while adding merely 80 runs in 88 balls, as left-arm spinner Shree Charini too made merry, taking two for 23 in six overs. Apart from Radha, the other display of electric fielding came from substitute fielder, pacer Arundhati Reddy, who pulled off blinder when she sprinted from deep mid-wicket and slid forward to catch Bangladesh's top-scorer Sharmin Akhter (36, 43b, 4x4), before throwing the ball up in exultation.
Despite rain threatening to wash out the entire match at one point, it was heartening to see around 15,000 spectators still staying back to cheer for the Women-In-Blue at a regular venue for women's international cricket. With India having already qualified for the semifinals, the match was inconsequential, but many enthusiastic fans still turned up in the stadium, music blaring in the background, hoping for the action to resume.
Going ahead, there's a rain threat to the second semifinal and final of the World Cup too, which will both be played in Navi Mumbai as well, but the good news is that as per the ICC rules, there's a reserve day for both the semifinals and the final.
On a gloomy Sunday afternoon, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur decided to bowl first at the toss, which was delayed by 35 minutes. It was the first toss won by Harmanpreet for India Women in ODIs after losing eight on the trot - their joint-longest streak in the format, alongside as many for Mithali Raj between Feb 2006 and Jul 2006.
Earlier, Bangladesh struggled with the conditions before the heavens opened up again. Off the last ball of the first over, Sumaiya Akter sliced a wide ball outside off-stump to Charani at short third. Rubya Haider, who scratched around for 13 off 32 balls, lofted Deepti Sharma, who opened the bowling, to Harleen Deol at mid-off.
India made as many as three changes to their line-up for the inconsequential match. The tournament hosts also decided to give a break to pacer Kranti Goud and off-spinning allrounder Sneh Rana, while bringing back Amanjot.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
Opener Pratik Rawal, who has been the second-highest run-getter for India after her senior opening partner Smriti Mandhana , having scored 308 runs in six matches@51.33, including a half-century against Australia and a 134-ball 122 against New Zealand in the last match, twisted her ankle in the 21st over of Bangladesh's innings while she fell while charging towards the ball at long-on. While she wasn't stretchered away, the 25-year-old was helped off the field by her teammates, and was somehow able to walk, which means that it's perhaps not a fracture.
The BCCI soon put out an update about her injury, which read: “Team India all-rounder Pratika Rawal sustained an injury to her knee and ankle while fielding in the first innings against Bangladesh. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring her progress.”
With Pratika injured, it was allrounder Amanjot Kaur (15 not out) who opened India's innings with Mandhana (34 not out, 27b, 6x4s), as India, asked to chase 126 in 27 overs as per the D/L method in a rain-curtailed match, reached 57 for no loss in in the ninth over before rain interrupted the match for the fifth and last time.
India will bank heavily on Mandhana and Pratika's hugely consistent opening partnership if they are hoping to upset Australia's applecart in the semis clash. This is the second injury to a gun player in the Indian camp - explosive ‘keeper-bat Richa Ghosh, who hurt her finger in the 55-run win over New Zealand at this venue, and was rested for the match, with Uma Chetry making her WODI debut.
The 23-year-old Chetry is now the first woman cricketer from Assam and the Northeast region to play for India in the Women's World Cup .
India will hope that both Pritika and Richa recover in time for the semis clash.
Radha Yadav takes 3-30 to restrict Bangladesh to 119/9
Meanwhile, playing her first game in the tournament, left-arm spinner Radha Yadav utilised the opportunity with both hands, taking three for 30 in six overs to help India restrict Bangladesh to 119 for nine in 27 overs after asking them to bat first. Proving her worth as perhaps the best fielder in the side, Radha also pulled off a superb direct hit at the non-striker's end to run out captain Nigar Sultana (nine off 24 balls).
Resuming their innings at 39 for two in 12.2 overs after a 135-minute long rain break, Bangladesh collapsed swiftly, losing seven wickets while adding merely 80 runs in 88 balls, as left-arm spinner Shree Charini too made merry, taking two for 23 in six overs. Apart from Radha, the other display of electric fielding came from substitute fielder, pacer Arundhati Reddy, who pulled off blinder when she sprinted from deep mid-wicket and slid forward to catch Bangladesh's top-scorer Sharmin Akhter (36, 43b, 4x4), before throwing the ball up in exultation.
Despite rain threatening to wash out the entire match at one point, it was heartening to see around 15,000 spectators still staying back to cheer for the Women-In-Blue at a regular venue for women's international cricket. With India having already qualified for the semifinals, the match was inconsequential, but many enthusiastic fans still turned up in the stadium, music blaring in the background, hoping for the action to resume.
Going ahead, there's a rain threat to the second semifinal and final of the World Cup too, which will both be played in Navi Mumbai as well, but the good news is that as per the ICC rules, there's a reserve day for both the semifinals and the final.
On a gloomy Sunday afternoon, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur decided to bowl first at the toss, which was delayed by 35 minutes. It was the first toss won by Harmanpreet for India Women in ODIs after losing eight on the trot - their joint-longest streak in the format, alongside as many for Mithali Raj between Feb 2006 and Jul 2006.
Earlier, Bangladesh struggled with the conditions before the heavens opened up again. Off the last ball of the first over, Sumaiya Akter sliced a wide ball outside off-stump to Charani at short third. Rubya Haider, who scratched around for 13 off 32 balls, lofted Deepti Sharma, who opened the bowling, to Harleen Deol at mid-off.
India made as many as three changes to their line-up for the inconsequential match. The tournament hosts also decided to give a break to pacer Kranti Goud and off-spinning allrounder Sneh Rana, while bringing back Amanjot.
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