Jahanara Alam could not have expected a better present on her 21st birthday given the tough time the Bangladesh vice-captain had to face in the last two post-match conferences after defeats. Yesterday she looked relieved and as always smiling following the Bangladesh women’s first ever victory in ICC World Twenty20 against Sri Lanka.
The Bangladesh pacer termed the win as the best moment of her life and pledged to keep the momentum up in future. “Definitely this is the best moment of my life, and for our team as well as for our country,” she said. “It was amazing. We haven’t celebrated yet. Hopefully it will be a grand one once we get back to the hotel.”
Jahanara started her spell in the best possible way she could. In her first delivery, Bangladesh’s second over, the lady from Khulna bowled Sri Lankan opener Hasini Perera to take her 15th wicket in her 21st T20 match for the country. “In fact my very first ball was itself a celebration for me. I’m very happy that we won such a good match on my birthday. I can’t explain in words.
“We always knew we have a good bowling and fielding side. We knew if we can keep things tight, we would win. Salma, Panna bowled very well. Even though there were a few dropped chances, it didn’t matter in the end,” she added.
Bangladesh will face Ireland in the 9th place decider tomorrow and this victory against Sri Lanka has boosted the host’s confidence. “We go to the field thinking we can win. I can’t say whether we will be able to beat Ireland but we will definitely go there for a win,” Jahanara said.
