Days change, dates change, venues change, but the result remains the same. India have won the five-match T20I series 3-0 against Sri Lanka. All three matches have clearly shown the difference in skill level between the two teams.
It was a Shafali Verma show yet again. Almost in deja vu style, she set the chase on fire. Using her feet brilliantly, she toyed with the field and took 14 runs off Malsha Shehani in the very first over. Sri Lanka came into today’s game with just one pacer, and that probably suited Shafali, given the form she is in. While Shafali looked comfortable from ball one, her opening partner Smriti Mandhana’s struggles continued until she was removed by off-spinner Kaveesha Dilhari, lbw while attempting the sweep. That wicket, however, did not deter Shafali, who continued to attack. She reached her fifty in just 24 balls.
Kaveesha Dilhari was the only bowler who looked like taking wickets. Despite Chamari Athapaththu dropping Jemimah Rodrigues off the previous ball, Kaveesha managed to dismiss her, bowling her off the very next delivery. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur then joined Shafali at the crease and, with the opener still going strong, Harmanpreet settled in and played a few strokes. India finished the chase in 13.2 overs with eight wickets in hand. Shafali remained unbeaten on 79 off 42 balls.
Earlier, Harmanpreet won the toss and opted to bowl first. Sri Lanka made a change to their opening combination, with Hasini Perera coming in alongside skipper Athapaththu. Perera was off to a flier, making her intent clear from the outset and giving Sri Lanka a brisk start. One would have expected that to ease the pressure on the Sri Lankan captain and allow her to build a longer innings, but that was not the case. Instead of settling in, Athapaththu played a few scratchy strokes before attempting an unnecessary hoick against Deepti Sharma and throwing her wicket away.
Harmanpreet rotated her bowlers smartly. Renuka Singh’s change of ends worked immediately as she picked up two wickets in the sixth over, dismissing the well-set Perera and then Harshitha Samarawickrama, reducing Sri Lanka to 32 for 3. Renuka finished with four wickets, while Deepti Sharma picked up three. A 40-run partnership off 27 balls between Imesha Dulani and Kaveesha Dilhari, along with a face-saving 19 not out from Kaushani Nuthyangana, helped Sri Lanka limp past the 100-run mark. They eventually finished on 112 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Sri Lanka have lost the series, but that is probably the least of their worries at the moment. They have far bigger problems to address and currently look completely clueless. India, on the other hand, remain firmly in control and will look to test their bench strength in the remaining two games. Can Sri Lanka salvage some pride from here on? That remains to be seen. For now, it is extended Christmas celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram.
