Sri Lanka struggled to deal with an Indian facet nonetheless using the excessive of its ODI World Cup triumph, falling to a complete eight-wicket defeat within the T20I sequence opener on the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Sunday.
A stingy bowling effort adopted by a simple chase gave the 7000-strong crowd loads of fodder on a cold winter night within the port metropolis.
Sri Lanka’s fortunes, significantly in latest instances, have been inextricably linked to Chamari Athapaththu’s output. True to script, India tightened its grip after sending the veteran packing.
AS IT HAPPENED: IND-W vs SL-W, 1st T20I Highlights: India beats Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Vizag
The guests’ laboured effort culminated in a modest goal of 122, one which the Ladies in Blue, powered by Jemimah Rodrigues’s 14th T20I half-century, chased with out breaking a sweat.
Put in to bat and with dew anticipated to set in because the night wore on, Athapaththu, as normal, stepped into the aggressor position, with two boundaries off Kranti Gaud. A wise change in angle and going a contact faster helped Kranti breach the Lankan skipper’s defence to offer the 22-year-old her maiden T20I wicket. It was a throwback to her dismissal of Laura Wolvaardt at this venue throughout the ODI World Cup.
Debutant Vaishnavi Sharma practically claimed her first worldwide scalp too, just for Shree Charani to spill an easy probability at quick fantastic leg after a thick top-edged from Hasini Perera, though Deepti Sharma contained the harm by sending her again within the subsequent over.
Vice-captain Harshitha Samarawickrama survived a leg earlier than enchantment early, taking cost as Vishmi Gunaratne struggled on the different finish. Charani dropped one other sitter, this time without work Arundhati Reddy’s bowling, to offer Harshitha one other life.
Charani redeemed herself in one of the simplest ways she knew how as she beat a sweeping Harshitha with a sooner supply to rattle her stumps.
Over 7000 followers have been in attendance as India begans its preparation for the Ladies’s T20 World Cup in England subsequent summer season.
| Photograph Credit score:
Ok.R. Deepak
Over 7000 followers have been in attendance as India begans its preparation for the Ladies’s T20 World Cup in England subsequent summer season.
| Photograph Credit score:
Ok.R. Deepak
Vishmi’s instincts to inject urgency into the Lankan innings kicked in too late. She struck Sri Lanka’s solely six of the innings, though Smriti’s botched catch try was owed extra credit score.
Kawya Kavindi eliminated Shafali Verma early, however it barely dented India’s cost. Jemimah – who completed with a elegant unbeaten 69 – first mixed with Smriti Mandhana after which with Harmanpreet Kaur to offer the host a 1-0 sequence lead with 32 balls to spare.
Whereas Jemimah’s sprightly scoring and strike rotation make her the proper quantity 3 anchor for this Indian facet, this match-winning innings ought to seal that spot in her favour as India seeks to finalise its eleven for the T20 World Cup in England subsequent summer season.
Revealed on Dec 21, 2025