India-W bag back-to-gold medals in Asian Games as they humble Sri Lanka-W in summit clash
The Indian women marched on to the Promised Land, bagging back-to-back gold medals in the Asian Games, as they drubbed Sri Lanka in Nisshin in the summit clash.
A collective showdown from the entire side was more than enough to seal the fate of the clash as Sri Lanka could only finish second best.
Winning the toss, India opted to bat first. Both Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana hunkered down to rampage from the start of the innings. The two added 99 runs for the opening stand from just 60 balls as both of them looked in dangerous nick.
Verma smashed 48 off 29, clobbering three fours and three sixes while Mandhana continued in the same vein of aggression, allowing the Women in Blue to go big and go deep. After India hacked their way through the Lankan bowling unit, it was Chamudi Praboda who managed to draw first blood for Sri Lanka.
Praboda got the better of Verma to bring in the Indian skipper, leaving the former agonizingly short of a half-century. Despite the fall of Verma, India continued their charge as Mandhana never lifted her foot off the pedal. Mandhana smashed 79 off just 45 balls, rocking five fours and seven sixes.
Kavisha Dilhari claimed the prized scalp of Harmanpreet Kaur (19) but India had their priorities straight and they had no intentions of taking a detour. Richa Ghosh walked in next and she descended upon Nisshin in the most intimidating fashion, hammering, whacking and clobbering her way to glory.
Sugandika Kumari got the better of Mandhana as India stayed rooted at 163/3. Ghosh eventually broke down the shackles, pummelling an unbeaten 49 off just 22 balls. Ghosh smacked six fours and three sixes as India posted 216 which is the highest-ever team total in the history of Asian Games.
Despite Chamari Athapaththu (29) anchoring the innings at the top, the Indian bowlers simply smashed through the floodgates, striking Sri Lanka at breakneck speed, not even giving them the time to breathe and realize that what had hit them.
It started with Shafali Verma getting the better of Imesha Dulani (3) before she struck in a span of just nine balls, for a second time to get the better of Hasini Perera (0).
Once Deepti Sharma saw the back of Chamari, it was only a nosedive into a mortifying spiral for Sri Lanka as they were bundled out for 69. Apart from Athapaththu, it was only Kavisha Dilhari (11) and Kaushini Nuthyangana (14) who could get into double figures for Sri Lanka.
This was India’s biggest-ever win in WT20Is as they registered the victory by a margin of 147 runs. Deepti Sharma was the pick of the lot with figures of 3/6 from her four overs while Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil and N Shree Charani claimed two wickets each.
