Bangladesh's Asia Cup survival rests on final push against UAE

Bangladesh face their most important test of the Women's Asia Cup when they meet hosts United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.

Bangladesh's defeat by Sri Lanka on Sunday left the group wide open behind the defending champions, who secured their semi-final place with a four-wicket victory. Bangladesh now need a strong finish against UAE to keep their campaign alive.

The loss to Sri Lanka will also serve as a warning. Bangladesh reduced the defending champions to 44 for five while defending 115, only to see Harshitha Samarawickrama guide the chase to the finish. The bowlers had created the opening; the batting had not given them enough runs to defend.

That leaves Bangladesh with two areas to address before the UAE match: scoring more decisively and sustaining pressure when the opposition is in trouble.

Bangladesh began the tournament with a convincing win over Indonesia before running into the much stronger Sri Lankan attack. Their final group match now carries a different kind of pressure, with the top two teams from the group advancing to the last four.

UAE, meanwhile, will have home conditions behind them and will know that another upset could dramatically change the group standings.

For Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana and her team, the equation is straightforward: win, and keep the semi-final dream alive.

The match is scheduled for Tuesday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with play beginning at 8:30pm Bangladesh time.