Dhaka: Bangladesh's off-spinner Sultana Khatun expressed satisfaction with the team's dominant victory over Ireland in the first ODI, but noted that Sharmin Akhter Supta's near-century would have made the win even sweeter. Supta, who scored an impressive 96 off 89 balls, narrowly missed achieving a century, which would have made her the second Bangladeshi player to do so after Fargana Hoque Pinky. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Supta's aggressive innings played a crucial role in Bangladesh's 154-run victory, marking their largest margin of victory in history. The team set a formidable total of 252-4, the highest in this format for them. Sultana, who also contributed to the victory with a three-wicket haul, praised Supta's batting performance and expressed the team's desire for her to have reached the century milestone. Despite the impressive total, Sultana noted that other Bangladeshi batters struggled to replicate Supta's aggressive approach. She explained that playing according to the situation in ODIs is essential, and Supta's position in the order may have offered her a more favorable batting situation compared to the openers. Supta's exit from the field with assistance raised concerns about a possible injury, but the Bangladesh team management confirmed her availability for the second ODI on Saturday. Sultana highlighted the team's relief in securing a victory after disappointing results in the ODI series against Australia and the T20 World Cup. Coach Hasan Tillakaratne emphasized the importance of home advantage, which Bangladesh utilized effectively. While Bangladesh managed to score with ease, Ireland struggled and were bowled out for just 98 runs. Sultana downplayed the difficulty of the pitch, suggesting it was more conducive to batting than Ireland's performance suggested. Sultana concluded by expressing the team's intention to score even more runs in the next match, aiming for a 300-plus total. She remained optimistic about Bangladesh's prospects in the series, confident in their abilit y to capitalize on favorable conditions and continue their winning momentum.
