By Trisha Ghosal
India will take on Sri Lanka in the final of the tri-nation series in Colombo tomorrow at 10 AM. India finished the group stage with 6 points, winning 3 of their 4 games, while Sri Lanka secured 4 points with 2 wins in 4 games.
India’s Uneven Ride to the Final
India entered the series high on confidence after dominant ODI series wins against West Indies and Ireland at home. With ODI cricket widely regarded as India’s strongest format, they were clear pre-tournament favourites. However, that dominant Indian team hasn’t consistently turned up in Sri Lanka, an important series in subcontinental conditions ahead of the ODI World Cup.
India began the tournament with a clinical 9-wicket win in a rain-curtailed game against Sri Lanka. But their second match, against South Africa, exposed cracks. India scraped through with a narrow 15-run win, thanks to Tazmin Britts retiring with heat cramps and a match-turning over from Sneh Rana, who took three wickets.
Read: India’s Young Talents shine bright in the Women’s Tri-Nation series opener
In their second game against Sri Lanka, India posted 275/9, led by a solid half-century from Richa Ghosh. Yet, despite dismissing Chamari Athapaththu in the 33rd over with the score on 152, India failed to close out the game. Poor bowling and a lack of a Plan B cost them, with only Rana (3 wickets) standing out. Kashvee Gautam’s injury further weakened their bowling.
Read: Sneh Rana Shines Again as India Edge Past South Africa to Stay Unbeaten in Tri-Series
Against South Africa in the final group match, India’s top order collapsed. However, Jemimah Rodrigues (100) and Deepti Sharma (93) lifted the team to 337. Even without captain Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa chased valiantly and managed 314. Amanjot Kaur’s 3 wickets on her return helped India win by 23 runs.
Read IND-W v SA-W, Tri-Nation ODI Series: India Seal Final Spot with 23-Run Win over South Africa
Sri Lanka’s Comeback Trail
Sri Lanka’s campaign began poorly. In their opener against India, they were bowled out for 147 and lost by 9 wickets. Their chances of making the final looked slim. But changes to their XI, including bolstering spin and middle-order depth, turned the tide.
Against South Africa, Sri Lanka restricted their opponents to 235/9 on a slow pitch and chased it down with 5 wickets and 21 balls to spare. Their second match against India was even more impressive. Choosing to bowl first, they restricted India to 275/9 and chased it down with 5 balls left, powered by fifties from Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshi de Silva.
Read Nilakshi de Silva Leads Sri Lanka to Landmark Victory Over India
In their final group match against South Africa, Dewmi Vihanga’s five-wicket haul helped restrict the opposition to 314. But Sri Lanka’s batting faltered, with only Athapaththu and Anushka Sanjeewani passing 40. They lost by 76 runs, but still secured a place in the final.
Key Players to Watch
Jemimah Rodrigues
With India’s top order struggling to convert starts, Jemimah’s role becomes crucial. Coming off a brilliant century, she is the second-highest run scorer in the series — 201 runs in 3 innings at an average of 67 and a strike rate of 112.29. She handles spin well and will look to anchor India’s innings again.
Harshitha Samarawickrama
In a team battling inconsistency, Harshitha stands out. After a quiet start, she has registered scores of 77, 53 and 33 in her last three innings. In both of Sri Lanka’s wins while chasing, Harshitha struck vital fifties. Her form could define Sri Lanka’s fate in the final.
Sneh Rana
Her exclusion earlier in the season raised questions. But Rana has answered with performances. On our podcast Stumps, Stories and Spills, she had said: “I do not focus on the selection. Only focus is on the performances. I perform for myself, for my game, because I love this game and hence always want to give my full efforts.”
Read: “The ultimate dream is to represent India in a World Cup” – Sneh Rana
Rana leads the wicket charts with 11 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 15.4 and a strike rate of 19.09. She has dismissed 6 Sri Lankan batters already in this tournament and remains India’s most dangerous weapon.
Watch the full podcast here
Dewmi Vihanga
Since her inclusion after the opening loss to India, Vihanga has been sensational. She flights the ball, uses the pitch and bowls with discipline. With 9 wickets in 3 matches at an average of 15.33 and a strike rate of 19.33, she has been Sri Lanka’s bowling revelation.
Key Match-Ups
Smriti Mandhana vs Sugandika Kumari
Mandhana’s struggles against finger spin are well documented. In 4 innings this series, she has been dismissed twice by left-arm orthodox bowlers. Sugandika and Sri Lanka will look to exploit this early vulnerability.
Sri Lanka’s Middle Order vs Sneh Rana
Eight of Rana’s 11 wickets have come between batters 4 to 8. She has also picked 5 wickets between overs 41 and 50. If Sri Lanka’s middle order doesn’t find a way past her, they will struggle to finish strong.
The Toss That Could Tilt the Game
Sri Lanka have won all their games chasing and chose to bowl in all three tosses they have won. Their only poor batting outing was when India inserted them first. If India win the toss again, expect them to field and test Sri Lanka’s top order early.
India Favourites, But Not Unbeatable
Despite a stuttering campaign, India remain favourites, on paper. But they need solutions to their top-order fragility and bowling inconsistencies. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, must improve their fielding and sustain their recent batting rhythm. Will India finally deliver a statement win or can Sri Lanka spring a stunning upset in front of a home crowd?