IND-W vs BAN-W Highlights, Women's Asia Cup Semi-final: India win by 40 runs; cruise to final

Nandani Sharma finishes it. The last over goes for five and brings two wickets. After Fahima falls, Rabeya Khan is out hit-wicket first ball for a duck. Bangladesh close on 109 for 7. Shorna Akter stays unbeaten on 22 off 18. India win the Asia Cup semi-final by 40 runs and go through to the final.

Nandani Sharma has another. Fahima Khatun is caught by Prema Rawat and walks back for 14 off 14, with two fours. Bangladesh are six down with one ball left in the chase.

Bangladesh reach 98 for 5 after 18 overs. The 18th over goes for 10, including a six. Shorna Akter moves to 20 off 14. Fahima Khatun is on 5 off 7. They still need 52 off the last 12 balls.

Deepti Sharma has her third. She pushes it flatter, closer to off, and it turns in. Sharmin Akhter goes back to swipe across the line, the ball sneaks under the bat and clips off stump. Sharmin is gone for 1 off 2. Fahima Khatun comes in and takes a single to long-on. Bangladesh are 84 for 5 after 16 overs, with Shorna Akter on 10 off 8. They need 66 off the last 24 balls.

Prema Rawat removes the Bangladesh captain. Nigar Sultana steps down but does not reach the ball as it turns away. She heaves towards deep midwicket, gets a leading edge, and Nandani Sharma takes a simple catch at backward point. Nigar goes for 19 off 17, with one four and one six. Bangladesh are four down.

Deepti Sharma strikes again. She pushes one through quicker and Sobhana Mostary is caught in two minds. She tries to work it to the on side off the back foot, plays down the wrong line, and the ball skids on to hit the top of off. Mostary is bowled for 18 off 24, with one four. Bangladesh are three down.

Bangladesh are 46/2 after 10 overs, needing 104 more off 60 balls. The required rate is now 10.4 after a crawl at 4.6 an over. Nigar Sultana is on 8 off 7 with one four. Sobhana Mostary is struggling on 3 off 9. India have a firm grip on this chase.

Deepti Sharma has the second wicket. She holds it wider of off and Dilara Akter slog-sweeps off the toe end. The ball goes straight up. Kranti Gaud runs a long way from midwicket, dives to her left and takes it inches off the turf. Dilara is gone for 21 off 26, with four fours. Bangladesh are two down.

Bangladesh lose their first wicket. Shree Charani gets one to spin across Juairiya Ferdous, who plays across the line and skies a top-edge. Richa Ghosh runs across, calls loudly and takes a simple catch. Ferdous goes for 14 off 18, with two fours.

Bangladesh move from 18 for 0 after three overs to 26 without loss after five. Charani and Shafali each go for only four. Dilara survives a stumping appeal off Shafali’s first ball. Ferdous is on 14 off 15, Dilara on 12 off 15. The required rate is now above eight.

Bangladesh Women are 18 without loss after three overs. The required rate sits at 7.76. Dilara Akter is on 10 off 11 with two fours, while Juairiya Ferdous has 8 off 7, also with two boundaries. Both openers are finding the gaps, but India will want an early wicket before this partnership settles.

India Women finish on 149/6 in the Women’s Asia Cup semi-final in Dubai. Marufa Akter’s final over costs 12 but also brings two wickets. Deepti Sharma (13 off 6) looks to loft a slower ball over mid-off and is well caught by Rabeya Khan, who runs back and holds on. Off the last ball, Bharti Fulmali swings and misses a wide delivery. Harmanpreet Kaur calls for a bye, Fulmali is late to respond, and Nigar Sultana lobs the ball to the bowler, who breaks the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Fulmali is run out for a duck. Harmanpreet stays unbeaten on 24 off 28. Bangladesh need 150 to reach the final.

Nahida Akter dismisses Richa Ghosh in the 19th over. The spinner sees Ghosh advancing, drags the length wider, takes the pace off and finds a bit of turn. Ghosh still goes through with the big hit, misses, and Nigar Sultana waits before taking the bails off. Ghosh is gone for 21 off 16, with two sixes. India lose their fourth wicket with nine balls left in the innings.

India are 127/3 after 18 overs, scoring at 7.06 an over after Bangladesh chose to bowl. Harmanpreet Kaur is still finding her timing on 15 off 24, with one six and no fours. At the other end, Richa Ghosh has taken charge, racing to 21 off 15 with two sixes and a strike rate of 140. With two overs left, India need a late burst to push this total into genuinely uncomfortable territory.

Bangladesh have their breakthrough. Sultana Khatun tosses the ball up and Shafali Verma looks to clear deep midwicket, but she fails to get fully under it. The ball hangs long enough for substitute Farjana Easmin to settle underneath and complete the catch. The fielder is thrilled, it has taken a replacement to hold on after Shafali had been putting the field under pressure. The opener walks back for a brisk 64 off 40 balls, with seven fours and three sixes.

India 92/3 after 13.5 overs.

FIFTY! Shafali Verma gets to her half-century with a single towards deep midwicket. This is her 20th T20I half-century, and her second in this edition of the Women's Asia Cup. Her fifty tonight comes off 35 deliveries, hitting five fours and two sixes.

India 78/2 (13 overs)

Ten runs come from Marufa Akter's third over as Shafali Verma reaches her 40s with a couple of boundaries. She has skipper Harmanpreet Kaur to support her from the other end. Harmanpreet has started on a rather slow note, scoring just two runs from nine deliveries.

India 75/2 (12 overs)

OUT! Pratika Rawal departs soon after forging a 50-run stand with Shafali Verma. Rawal is caught by Dilara Akter at cover after the former ends up getting a top-edge off the bat.

India 59/2 (9.2 overs)

Shafali Verma is currently India's aggressor, having scored 29 runs from 18 balls. But, Pratika joins the party by launching a maximum over wide long-on. It is the end of powerplay.

India 45/1 (6 overs)

OUT! Smriti Mandhana departs early as Sultana Khatun strikes. Mandhana looked to go big, but ended up top-edging it towards Shorna Akter at mid-on.

Pratika Rawal has walked out to bat at No.3

India 20/1 (3 overs)