Bangladesh triumphed over their opponents by 7 wickets in a dominant performance during the Women's ODI World Cup on Thursday. The Nigar Sultana-led side was exceptional with both bat and ball, first dismissing their opponents for a modest total of 129 runs before comfortably chasing down the target in just 31.1 overs.

The spin duo of Shoma Akter and Nahida Akter claimed three and two wickets, respectively, while pacer Marufa Akter also contributed with two scalps. Every bowler in the Bangladesh lineup took wickets, as the opposition's batters struggled to cope with the incredible bowling display.

Bangladesh Batters Seal Victory

In reply, although they lost opener Fargana Hoque early in the fourth over, Rubya Haider steadied the innings alongside skipper Nigar Sultana. The pair formed a 62-run partnership, taking Bangladesh to the brink of victory. While Sultana eventually fell for 23 in the 25th over, Rubya remained unbeaten on 54, assisted by Sobhana Mostary, who also stayed not out on 24. This partnership guided Bangladesh to a comfortable victory, marking a strong start to their World Cup campaign.

After the match, Sultana expressed her delight at the team's performance, calling the victory "massive" and stating it would provide much-needed momentum for the upcoming matches in the tournament.

"It was good toss to lose, I guess, because we also wanted to bat [first]. I told the girls that we needed wickets in the powerplay. Marufa is very young and mature. She knows her role very well, and is very confident. How she delivered was incredible. After the first innings, we talked about playing our natural game. Jhelik batted really well in her debut game. Sometimes you feel pressure when you lose an early wicket... We wanted to start with a win. It gives momentum we can take into the rest of the tournament," Sultana remarked.

Opposition Captain's Reflection on the Loss

On the other hand, the opposition's captain, Fatima Sana, acknowledged that the early wickets were the turning point in the match. She mentioned that they would look to improve their execution in upcoming games.

"In the first couple of overs, we lost a couple of wickets. That was match-turning. We'll try to bounce back. We just collapsed early on. We'll try to execute our plans next time. Some players were playing for the first time in the World Cup. So there was pressure. Everyone is a match-winner. We just need to believe. It was a better pitch for the fast bowlers," Sana stated.

Looking Ahead

Bangladesh will hope to maintain this form when they take on England on October 7, while their opponents will face arch-rivals India in their next match on October 5.