Spinners Shine as India A Women Crush Nepal by 7 Wickets in Asia Cup

After winning the toss and opting to field, India A's spinners set up the contest by bundling Nepal out for 78 in 18 overs before the batters sealed the chase in just 7.5 overs.

Nepal began cautiously, with Bindu Rawal and Samjhana Khadka putting on 22 for the opening wicket. Khadka provided early momentum with a flurry of boundaries, briefly lifting Nepal to 55/2 inside nine overs.

However, the introduction of spin completely shifted the momentum. Minnu Mani broke through with the stumping of Rawal and went on to claim 3-8, applying sustained pressure through tight lines. Tanuja Kanwer was the standout performer, dismantling the middle order with figures of 4-12 from her four overs. She removed the dangerous Khadka for 22 and struck repeatedly as Nepal slumped from 55/2 to 65/9 in dramatic fashion.

Radha Yadav chipped in with two late wickets, including one in the final over, as sharp fielding and disciplined bowling ensured Nepal never recovered from the middle-order collapse. Only brief resistance from the top order helped them limp to 78 all out.

The chase began with a minor hiccup as Deeya Yadav fell in the opening over to Manisha Upadhayay. Anushka Sharma struck a couple of crisp boundaries but was dismissed soon after, leaving India A at 25/2.

From there, the contest was effectively sealed. Vrinda Dinesh launched a counterattack of authority, finding boundaries all around the ground. She raced to 31 off just 16 deliveries, peppering the deep mid-wicket and long-off regions with clean strikes. Tejal Hasabnis complemented her well with a brisk 18 off 13 balls, as the pair took apart Nepal's bowling in a decisive passage that yielded 22 runs in one over.

Although Hasabnis fell with victory in sight, Dinesh finished the game in style with consecutive boundaries, sealing the win with more than 12 overs to spare.

India A's dominance stemmed from their control in the middle overs and their fearless intent in the chase. The spin trio of Kanwer, Mani and Radha dictated terms, while the batting unit ensured there were no late nerves.

For Nepal A, the inability to build partnerships after a promising start proved costly, and their modest total left little margin for error.

In the end, it was a comprehensive seven-wicket victory that underlined India A Women's credentials as one of the strongest sides in the tournament.

Brief Scores: Nepal 78/10 (Samjhana Khadka 22, Rubi Poddar 12; Tanuja Kanwer 4-12, Minnu Mani 3-8) lose to India A (Vrinda Dinesh 39, Tejal Hasabnis 18; Manisha Upadhyay 1-28, Sita Rana Magar 1-9) by seven wickets

- IANS