ICC Women's World Cup | India beat Sri Lanka by 16 runs to inch closer to semi-finals spot

ICC Women's World Cup | India beat Sri Lanka by 16 runs to inch closer to semi-finals spot

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An efficient Indian women’s team beat the Sri Lankans by 16 runs to clinch their fourth win on the trot at the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup. After Deepti Sharma (78) and Mithali Raj (50) took India to 232/8 in 50 overs, the Indian bowlers choked the Sri Lankan batting to seal the win.

Brief Scores: India Women 232/8 (Deepti Sharma 78, Mithali Raj 53; Sripali Weerakkody 3/28, Inoka Ranaweera 2/55) beat Sri Lanka Women 216/7 (Dilani Manodara 61, Shashikala Siriwardene 37; Poonam Yadav 2/23, Jhulan Goswami 2/26) by 16 runs.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, things did not start well for Mithali Raj and her side as Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana departed early to leave the side at 38/2 after 11 overs. However, that’s when Raj came to the crease and in the company of Deepti Sharma, the duo steadied the Indian innings with a much-needed partnership and opened up once they got their collective eye in. 

Together, they put up 118 runs for the third wicket and set the stage for others to finish the innings with a flourish. But the fall of three quick wickets thereafter took the momentum out of the Indian innings and Veda Krishnamurthy and Harmanpreet Kaur took the onus upon themselves to keep up the ante until they both got out in consecutive balls in the 49th over to medium-pacer Sripali Weerakkody. Finally, despite the loss of wickets of wickets towards the end of their innings, the Indian women managed a respectable total of 232/8 from their 50 overs.

In response, the Sri Lankan women’s innings never really got going as India’s bowlers choked them with some impeccable bowling. Jhulan Goswami led the Indian bowling charge as she dismissed Sri Lankan opener, Hasini Perera, as early as the fifth over. And that set the stage for India’s bowlers to dominate the Sri Lankan batswomen.Poonam Yadav, who picked 2/23 in her ten overs, helped set up the win for India. The diminutive Yadav swung the game in India’s

Poonam Yadav, who picked 2/23 in her ten overs, then helped set up the win for India. The diminutive Yadav swung the game in India’s favour when she came round the wicket and got the better of Chamari Atapattu in the 18th over when the Lankans had reached a good position at 57-1. Yadav enticed the batsman with a flighted delivery that the Sri Lankan tried to sweep but missed the line and was bowled. Then, with another identical delivery, she enticed Nipuni to make a big stride forward for a slog sweep only to be stumped by Sushma Verma.

The Lankan innings never had the momentum after that, and only one team could have won from thereon. And though Dilani Manodara Surangika (61 off 75 balls) batted well, she found little support from her teammates and that cost Sri Lanka the match as India completed a comfortable 16-run win and maintained their perfect record at the ongoing event in England.

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