Nigar Sultana Joty credited Sharmin Akhter and Nahida Akter for rescuing Bangladesh on a difficult surface as their 34-run win over the United Arab Emirates sent them into the Asia Cup semi-finals.
Bangladesh posted just 103 before restricting UAE to 69 for nine in 20 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The result secured their place in the last four, where they will face India.
Joty admitted Bangladesh expected a slow pitch but found the surface even tougher than anticipated.
“We expected a slow surface but it was really slow. They also bowled really slow,” Joty said at the presentation.
Bangladesh lost early wickets and needed a partnership to rebuild the innings. Sharmin top-scored with 38, while Nahida helped her through an important stand that took Bangladesh beyond the 100-run mark.
“When the top order fell, we talked about it being a matter of one partnership and if we get 100-plus runs we’ll be good,” Joty said.
She also praised Sharmin’s contribution in the middle overs.
“Sharmin batted really well in the middle and Nahida helped her out with the partnership and we got the 100-plus runs that we wanted,” the Bangladesh captain said.
The bowlers then made the modest total count.
Rabeya Khan led the attack with three wickets for 14 runs from four overs. Marufa Akter and Nahida Akter took two wickets each, while Sultana Khatun and Fahima Khatun also claimed a wicket.
Joty highlighted the collective effort after Bangladesh had set a target that offered UAE a chance if they could build a partnership.
“Marufa started the innings really well and everyone else also bowled well,” she said.
The win also came with Bangladesh having to manage their emotions. Joty explained that the players avoided excessive celebrations because of tournament rules.
“We were talking about not doing anything else because of the rules, so we won’t say any word…” she said.
Bangladesh now face a much stronger challenge against India in the semi-final. India enter the contest as one of the tournament’s leading sides, but Joty wants her players to focus on execution rather than the opposition’s reputation.
“They are a very strong side so we will look to play our A-game on that particular day,” she said. “Result will come but we just want to execute our best.”
The other semi-final will see defending champions Sri Lanka face Pakistan. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have earned their place in the knockout stage after successfully defending one of the lowest totals of the tournament.
