By Srian Obeyesekere
India overcame a 6 for 124 middle order collapse of losing four wickets for 4 runs in the space of 7 balls to withstanding a terrific strike when Sri Lanka broke the back of the strong host country’s batting including the prize wicket of Smriti Mandhana for 8 in the curtain raiser of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 before a seventh wicket fight back between Deepti Sharma a run a ball 53 (3×4) and Amanjot Kaur 57 off 56 with 5 boundaries and six bailed out the Indians to a 59 run triumph in a DLS rain reduced 47 over curtain raiser with the Lankan lasses, set a revised 271 target, bowled out for 211 at Bangalore’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
Having put in the Indians to bat on a fast surface, the Lankan Women bowled and fielded like terriers with Udeshika Prabodhani removing the dangerous Mandhana for 8 with the score 14 in the second delivery of her second over and the fourth of the innings caught at the boundary line as the Indian opener bit the bait of an outside the off stump delivery that invited her to have a go with Vishmi Gunaratne sprinting to pull off a brilliant low catch diving and latching on to the ball second time after it bounced off her hands.
The first strike came on an ominous note with the burly Achini Lokusuriya, who had been dedpatched first ball to the boundary by Pratika Rawal, settling down to hurling a probing biting over.
The match was marred by early rain stoppage as India recovered to 81 for 2 before Inoka Ranaweera came on with a nagging take of 4 for 45 by a wily bout of spin as Gunaratne took her second catch to send back Rawal for a plucky 37 off 59 with 3 boundaries and a six going on to trigger the collapse having Harleen Deol snapped up by Dilhari Kavisha for a compact 48 off 64 with 6 boundaries. With India on 120 for 3 at the halfway mark of 25.1 overs, the rot of 6 for 124 set in with Ranaweera going on to bowl India’s other top batter Jemimah Rodtigues for a first ball duck into the second ball of the 25th delivery and three balls later had the Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur caught by Sanjeewani for 21 when Achini Kulasuriya had Richa Ghosh caught by Prabodhani for 2 India was in deep trouble on 6 for 124 after 27 overs.
But the Lankans missed the bus from that point as Sharma and Amanjot Kaur staged India’s recovery by a resolute 103 stand that swung the game the other way.
Chasing 271 on the revised DLS 47 overs was challenging a target and when the Lankans lost their talisman Skipper Chamari Athapaththu for a quick fire 43 off 47 as her force the pace knock in 3 lusty sixes and 4 across was ended by Deepti Sharma reducing Sri Lanka to 82 for 2 after 15 overs, the Lankans were at it despite the diminutive left-hander Harshitha Samarawickrama 29 off 45 with 3 boundaries and Vishmi Gunaratne 11 off 28 taking Sri Lanka past hundred. Samarawickrama fell leg before wicket to Sharma the score 103 for 4.
From that point, it was all India skidded to 6 for 140 after 29. No 6 Nilakshi Silva struck a hard hitting 35 off 29 fanned by a six and 4 across, but the Lankans had lost their way before Sharma’s Player of the Match all-round clanging with her 3 for 54 to go with it.
India 269 for 8 (Amanjot 57, Deepti 53, Ranaweera 4-46) beat Sri Lanka 211 (Athapaththu 43, Deepti 3-54, Rana 2-32) by 59 runs (D/L method)
