Naman Suri
Another all-round performance in yet another chase saw Sri Lanka women finally defeat India in ODIs for the first time in seven years. Despite being pushed to a corner, Sri Lanka secured a three-wicket win, drawing level with India in the tri-nation series.
On a dark, hard and sluggish pitch in Colombo, with a bit of moisture underneath, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Indian batters began steadily, rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking without allowing the opposition to build pressure early on. However, Sri Lanka managed to pick up timely wickets, starting with Smriti Mandhana, who was run out after being sold down the river. A sharp piece of fielding left Mandhana stranded in no man’s land.
The Indian batters began to play with relative freedom on what had, until then, seemed like difficult conditions. While each batter contributed around 30 runs, none were able to convert their starts into substantial scores. The Sri Lankan bowlers, especially left-arm orthodox spinner Sugandika Kumari and captain Chamari Athapaththu, were the pick of the lot, claiming three wickets each.
With the platform set for acceleration, Richa Ghosh stepped up, top-scoring with a 48-ball 58. Her aggressive strokeplay gave India a chance to post a sizeable total. However, the wicketkeeper-batter holed out before the final few overs. Once she fell in the 44th over, the rest of the Indian line-up failed to capitalise. The Sri Lankan skipper picked up two of her three wickets in the 46th over, denting India’s momentum as they were restricted to 275. Just 29 runs came in the final five overs.
In response, Sri Lanka came out with a new opening pair — Hasini Perera and Vishmi Gunaratne — who were cautious and steady in their approach. Their stand was broken by a brilliant piece of fielding from Deepti Sharma, whose direct hit brought Hasini’s innings to an end. Vishmi and Harshitha Samarawickrama then stitched together a 78-run partnership, putting Sri Lanka firmly in control.
India struck back with a flurry of wickets, with Sneh Rana once again showing her class. But Sri Lanka never lost control of the chase. Contributions kept coming, with the most vital being Nilakshi de Silva’s blistering 33-ball 56, which propelled Sri Lanka towards victory. Her aggressive strokeplay not only helped them surpass the required rate but also placed them firmly in command. Although she eventually fell, the game was all but done, and both Anushka Sanjeewani and Kumari ensured they saw the chase through without any stumbles.
India were left to rue several missed chances in the field, which made a significant difference in the end.
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