In the rain-affected opening ODI of the women’s triangular series at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the formidable Indian women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, thrashed hosts Sri Lanka by nine wickets to open their campaign in style. With this dominant victory, India bagged two points to top the table.
The match, originally scheduled to start at 10 a.m., was delayed by rain and eventually began at 12 noon, with each side allotted 39 overs. India won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that quickly paid off.
Sri Lanka endured a disastrous start, losing their world-class captain Chamari Athapaththu for just 7 runs, caught off the bowling of Arundhati Reddy with the score at 23/1. The Indian bowlers maintained relentless pressure, picking up wickets at regular intervals to bowl out Sri Lanka for a modest 147 in 38.1 overs. Only Hasini Perera (30), Kavisha Dilhari (25), and Anushka Sanjeewani (22) managed to put up some resistance. For India, the returning Sneh Rana shone with figures of 3/31, while Deepti Sharma (2/22) and N. Charani (2/26) provided excellent support.
In reply, India’s openers, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, got off to a brisk start. Smriti played a fluent knock of 43 off 46 balls, hitting six boundaries. After her departure, Pratika took charge, showcasing an array of strokes. She combined with Harleen Deol for an unbeaten 95-run partnership that sealed the win comfortably for India with 56 balls to spare. Pratika Rawal, for her stylish 50*, was named the Player of the Match.
India will next face South Africa in their upcoming fixture.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka (W): 147 all out in 38.1 overs (Hasini Perera 30, Kavisha Dilhari 25, Anushka Sanjeewani 22; Sneh Rana 3/31, Deepti Sharma 2/22, N. Charani 2/26)
India (W): 148/1 in 29.4 overs (Pratika Rawal 50*, Harleen Deol 48*, Smriti Mandhana 43; Inoka Ranaweera 1/32)
