Sloppy India stave off a spirited Bangladesh to keep semifinal hopes alive

A far-from-clinical India kept their semifinal qualification on track with a five-wicket win over a spirited Bangladesh at Old Trafford — a result that looked far more comfortable on the scorecard than it did on the field. Sloppy in the field and scratchy with the bat at times, India ultimately had enough to seal a modest chase and bank two crucial points.

Shafali Verma steered the pursuit with her second half-century of the tournament in three innings, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur finished the job with 19 balls to spare, though India lost more wickets than they would have liked along the way.

A ragged day in the field

India's performance with the ball and in the field was anything but tidy. They put down three catches early on, misfielded on several occasions, and generally struggled to nail their lines and lengths as Bangladesh made a positive start to their innings.

Bangladesh capitalised, with Juairiya Ferdous and Sobhana Mostary building a second-wicket stand worth more than fifty. Ferdous found the boundary regularly before being caught-and-bowled for 33, while Mostary made a brisk 22 before holing out to mid-off.

Spinners turn the screw

Just as Bangladesh threatened to push beyond 140, India's spinners hauled them back with a collective effort in the closing overs. Captain Nigar Sultana had kept the scoring ticking with a useful contribution, but the death overs belonged to the bowlers.

Deepti Sharma dried up the runs at one end, while Radha Yadav — brought into the XI in place of Prema Rawat — and the impressive Shree Charani triggered a sharp collapse. Bangladesh lost their last five wickets for just 28 runs, slipping to a below-par 136 for eight on a flat surface.

Shafali leads the chase

Bangladesh handed India early gifts of their own, dropping Shafali Verma on 4 in the very first over and shelling another chance soon after. The reprieve proved costly, as Shafali made the most of her life with some clean striking through the 'V', including a six over long-on and crisp drives down the ground.

Her half-century gave India a flying start, and although Bangladesh fought back through their spinners in the middle overs, the platform Shafali laid kept the chase comfortably on course.

A nervy middle phase

The pursuit was not without its alarms. As the boundaries dried up, India's batting wobbled, and both Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues survived run-out chances that Bangladesh could not convert. A missed collection and a missed direct hit let India off the hook at a tense moment.

Sensing the nerves, Rodrigues counter-attacked, plundering 20 runs off five balls — including a six and three fours — to swing the momentum firmly back in India's favour and bring the target within touching distance.

Harmanpreet finishes it off

Rodrigues could not see it through, skying a catch as Bangladesh refused to give up, but Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma were there to apply the finishing touches. The captain remained unbeaten on 13 and Deepti on 5 as India got home in the 17th over.

It was, by India's own standards, an untidy performance — but in a tight group, the two points mattered far more than the manner of the win.

What it means

The result lifts India two points clear of South Africa and Bangladesh in second place in Group 1. Bangladesh, for their part, will rue both their lack of power with the bat and their own fielding lapses, with that early drop of Shafali proving especially expensive.

India's reward is a blockbuster clash with Australia on Sunday — effectively a knockout, with a place in the semifinals on the line.

The final word

This was a victory built on grit rather than polish, with Shafali's batting and the spinners' control papering over some glaring fielding errors. India will know they must be far sharper against the dominant Australians — but for now, they remain in control of their own destiny, and that is what counts.