India's T20 World Cup semi-final hopes were reignited at Old Trafford as they secured a thrilling five-wicket win over Bangladesh, sending shockwaves through the competition. Shafali Verma's scintillating 53 from just 34 deliveries proved the catalyst for India's victory, propelling them to 139-5 with 3.1 overs to spare and keeping their qualification dreams very much alive.
The win sets up a mouth-watering encounter between India and Group One leaders Australia at Lord's this Sunday, with nothing but a triumph likely to see the Indians progress. And what a statement of intent it would be! Verma's blistering knock was the perfect riposte to Bangladesh's spirited 136-8, in which Juairiya Ferdous top-scored with 33 and captain Nigar Sultana Joty added 32.
India's spinners – led by Radha Yadav's impressive 3-28 – consistently troubled the Bangladeshi batters, preventing them from forging significant partnerships. And when Verma finally fell in the ninth over, India's chase momentarily stuttered – but Jemimah Rodrigues' lightning-quick 26 from just 15 deliveries soon steadied the ship and sent the Indians hurtling towards victory.
The win has set up a thrilling finale to the group stage, with South Africa's crushing 88-run defeat of the Netherlands ensuring that nothing will be decided until the final day. India now face the daunting task of taking on six-time champions Australia at Lord's – but they'll fancy their chances if they can replicate this form. Meanwhile, South Africa will look to seal their own qualification by beating Bangladesh in their final group fixture and hoping for an Indian loss.
For all the resilience shown by India's batting line-up, however, their fielding will be a major area of concern going into Sunday's blockbuster encounter with Australia. The dropped catches and sloppy misfields highlighted a potential vulnerability that the Australians could exploit – but for now, at least, the Indians can bask in the glow of a magnificent win.