Shafali Verma-led India continued their dominant run in the inaugural edition of Under-19 T20 World Cup. India won their second group stage game by a massive margin of 122 runs as Half-centuries from Shafali and opener Shweta Sehrawat helped India post a gigantic total of 219/3 against UAE at Willowpark, Benoni.
As Indian openers took the field it looked like they just picked up where they left off in the previous clash against hosts South Africa. Boundaries flowed in the powerplay overs as India had 68/0 on the board after six overs and Shafali just one run away from half-century.
She got to her half-century with a boundary in the next over. She took just 26 deliveries to reach the milestone. In the eighth over, she hit two consecutive sixes off Lavanya Keny. In the next over, she continued the onslaught and it looked like she will become the first centurion of the tournament. But Indhuja Nandakumar kept her calm after getting hit for 10 runs off first two balls of the eighth over. She scored 78 runs from 34 deliveries including 12 fours and four sixes. The opening partnership was of 111 from 51 deliveries.
Wicketkeeper-batter and hard-hitter Richa Ghosh was promoted up the order as she came in to capitalise on the start Shafali provided. Shweta continued to anchor the innings and got to her second consecutive half-century from 33 deliveries in the 14th over. India reached the 200-run mark in the 18th over.
Richa repaid the faith by hitting boundaries and keeping the momentum alive in the middle and slog overs. But Richa missed her half-century. Mahika Gaur got her wicket in the penultimate over. She scored 49 runs from 29 deliveries including five fours and two sixes. Gongadi Trisha (11) hit a couple of boundaries but got out in the final over to Samaira Dharnidharka. Once again Shweta remained not out. The opener carried her bat as she scored 74 runs from 49 deliveries including 10 fours to help India post a daunting total of 219/3.
After UAE skipper Theertha Satish's decision to field first backfired she showed intent by smashing four consecutive boundaries in the first over. But Shabnam MD had the last laugh as she got her wicket off the fifth delivery of the innings. After Theertha's wicket, not many runs were scored in the powerplay overs. Samaira (9) lost her wicket to Titas Sadhu in the sixth over. After the powerplay overs, the score was 35/2. Rinitha Rajith (2) disappointed too and got stumped off Mannat Kashyap's bowling in the ninth over. At halfway stage, UAE were 45/3.
Mahika Gaur hit two sixes in her knock but the target was too far away from UAE's reach. She contributed with a run-a-ball 26 before getting run out in the 17th over. On the other end, Lavanya's score moved slowly, at the pace of a snail in context of T20 cricket. She got out in the final over but faced as many as 55 deliveries to score 24 runs. She did not hit a single boundary in the innings. UAE failed to cross the 100-run mark and managed to score 97/5 as they lost the match by 122 runs.
