Bangladesh Fight, Rain Disrupts, India Dictate — 1st Innings Belonged to Bowlers

The day started with clouds hanging over Navi Mumbai and ended with questions hanging over Bangladesh’s batting. The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 match between India and Bangladesh never found a rhythm. Rain chased it. But somewhere in between, India’s bowlers sent a clear signal: they came to control, not just compete.

Harmanpreet Kaur walked out for the toss as the match was reduced to 43 overs per side. She looked at the sky and chose to bowl first. Renuka Singh Thakur needed only five balls to shape the innings. She pitched full, jagged the ball away, and made Sumaiya Akter reach when she should have left. A loose slice off the face. A catch at short third. Bangladesh 3 for 1. Instant squeeze.

Deepti Sharma set the tone from the other end. She held tight lines and strangled scoring. Rubya Haider cracked under the choke. She looked to release tension over mid-off. Instead, she top-edged and gave Deepti her reward. Bangladesh 34 for 2.

After 12.2 overs, rain arrived again. When play resumed, the match shrank from 43 overs per side to 27 overs per side. 

The match resumed again with Bangladesh's innings shaking. Sharmin Akhter walked in and brought stillness. She saw the bigger problem, which is surviving the first spell. Her method worked. At 53 for 3 after 16 overs, she found a partner, Sobhana Mostari, who brought some intent. The pair rotated strike, drove the ball into gaps, but couldn't make it longer. 

Radha Yadav came on and cracked the innings open like dry wood. She floated the ball slowly and wide of reach. She invited risk. Radha Yadav finished with 3 wickets in her 6-over spell. India turned the middle overs into a climb that Bangladesh could not manage.

Bangladesh ended with 119 for 8 in 27 overs. After DLS adjustment, India's target was set at 126 runs to win in 27 overs. A total that needed bowling miracles later.

The story of the 1st innings was simple. Bangladesh survived spells. They survived the conditions. They did not survive pressure. Can India make it easily, or will Bangladesh make it tough for Indian batters? We will find out. 

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