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Asia Cup: IND Women triumph over SL win by 41 runs

On Saturday, India defeated Sri Lanka by 41 runs in the first match of the women’s T20 Asia Cup. India batted first and scored 150 for six, led by Jemimah Rodrigues’ 53-ball 76. Sri Lanka were all out for 109 in 18.2 overs, with wickets taken by Dayalan Hemalatha (3/15), Pooja Vastrakar (2/12), Deepti Sharma (2/15), and Radha Yadav (1/15).

Choosing to field, Sri Lanka began with the left-arm-right-arm spin combo of Sugandika Kumari and Oshadi Ranasinghe, as they did in the June home series against India. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s bid to break loose was unsuccessful, as both fell catching out within four overs.

Rodrigues and Harmanpreet took their time getting their eyes in, with Achini Kulasuriya’s first over – the powerplay’s penultimate – going for only one. Rodrigues, on the other hand, launched the onslaught, driving Kumari for two fours in the final over of the fielding limitations. She then gave Kulasuriya a similar treatment in her next over before taking two more fours from offspinner Malsha Shehani.

asia cupJemimah Rodrigues returned to the national team with a T20I career-best 76, including a 92-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and a stifling bowling performance helped India begin their Women’s T20 Asia Cup campaign with a 41-run win over Sri Lanka.

India were scoring at less than a run-a-ball when Rodrigues and Harmanpreet came together and helped India add 83 runs in the 10 overs after the powerplay. With Harmanpreet’s dismissal, India only scored 35 runs for the cost of four wickets, resuming the theme that saw them nearly lose out on gold at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year. But India’s spinners put the pressure on, especially in the face of an aggressive start, to enable them to win.

Jemimah Rodrigues was Player of the Match: “Harmanpreet told whatever I wanted to speak. 6 months I did not touch my bat, was tough not doing the thing I love and seeing everyone else do it. But everyone helped me, my parents, coaches and my trainers, I wanted to thank them. Nothing like coming back and playing for India. I would like to thank Mumbai – the heat is the same here as it is where I stay back in Mumbai. The wicket was tricky, it kept on the lower side, initially it was not turning, but then it turned. But I had prepared well for this, even in Bangalore I asked for slower and turning wickets. That preparation really helped me here. We will take the win and take the positives from this win. The bowlers did really well – everyone and this is what we are as a team. This is the confidence we are going to build on.”

Rodrigues soon reached her ninth half-century in the format, and the duo began to alter gears. With the temperature in Sylhet so high, it caught up with Harmanpreet, who had to be treated by the physio – and she was off the field throughout the chase with Mandhana calling the shots in the middle.
Rodrigues then got a couple hits, including a switch hit off Inoka Ranaweera, but her stint in the middle was cut short by a swipe across the line. After then, India’s end burned out, with only 16 runs contributed in the last 14 balls.

Harshitha Samawickrama, chasing 151, got off to a strong start, hitting three fours off the first over bowled by Renuka Singh.  She then belted Sneh Rana’s offspin back over her head with help from her feet.

Despite Deepti Sharma’s ability to manipulate Chamari Athapaththu and dismiss her, Samarawickrama discovered a comrade in Shehani, who came out all shots roaring. In five overs, Sri Lanka had stormed to 39 for 1.

ind asia cupDeepti swooped in fast from backward point and fired a straight hit towards the bowler’s end to catch the batsman short and took Shehani’s wicket. A few overs later, Samarawickrama’s ball-watching led to a disastrous mix-up, which culminated in her removal.

Pooja Vastrakar struck twice to reduce Sri Lanka to 61 for 5 from 48 for 3. Radha then trapped Anushka Sanjeewani lbw before Dayalan Hemalatha took three fast wickets to bring the game to a close.

On October 2nd, Sri Lanka Women will play United Arab Emirates Women in their second game of the tournament at the same location.

India Woman Team: 150 for six in 20 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 76; O Ranasinghe 3/32)

Sri Lanka Women Team: 109 all out in 18.2 overs (Hasini Perera 30; Dayalan Hemalatha (3/15), Pooja Vastraka (2/12).

Team India Team XI: Shafali Verma, Dayalan Hemalatha, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Sneh Rana, Richa Ghosh(w), Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav

Team Sri Lanka XI:  Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Madavi, Nilakshi De Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Malsha Shehani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera

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