Chasing 109, Indian openers Shafali Verma (40) and Smriti Mandhana (45) were at their best as they toyed with the Pakistani attack from the word go
Harmanpreet Kaur. Pic/AFP
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur wants her side to play fearless cricket to claim an eighth consecutive women's Asia Cup title, having set the tone with a commanding win over arch-rivals Pakistan here on Friday. India bundled out Pakistan for a below-par 108 after being asked to bowl and then chased down the target with as many as 35 balls remaining.
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Chasing 109, Indian openers Shafali Verma (40) and Smriti Mandhana (45) were at their best as they toyed with the Pakistani attack from the word go. "Our bowlers and openers did the job. The first game is always a pressure game that sets the tone. Our entire unit played really well. When we were bowling, we were talking about early breakthroughs. With the bat, credit goes to Smriti and Shafali. We want to keep playing fearless cricket," Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation ceremony. Pakistan sipper Nida Dar said her side was the second best in both the powerplays, which made the difference.
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"The difference was the powerplays, we lost both. The bowlers did well towards the end, though. We are confident of bouncing back," she said. Experienced India spinner Deepti Sharma (3/20), who was adjudged the player of the match, was happy to have contributed to the team's success. "I am feeling really good as I could deliver as per the plan. I had the belief. As a unit, we are doing well for the last few months. The camps we have had helped a lot. "I worked on my bowling after the South Africa series, so that helped. Nida Dar is a good batter, so her wicket was important," she said.
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