Renuka, openers guide India to series-clinching victory over SL

PALLEKELE: India dominated in all departments from start to finish as the tourist hammered Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the second women’s ODI here on Monday and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

The India openers fired as a pair for the first time in the tour, sharing a 174-run partnership to see the visitor home in just 25.4 overs. Smriti Mandhana (94 not out off 83 balls) and Shafali Verma (71 not out off 71 balls) also helped India create a record – the highest target successfully chased down without losing a wicket in women’s ODIs.

While the experienced Mandhana smashed 11 fours and one maximum during her blazing knock, Shafali struck four fours and a six. Earlier, after winning the toss, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur invited Sri Lanka to bat on a surface which was favourable for the bowlers. The host soon found itself in all sorts of trouble – at 11 for three in the seventh over – as pacer Renuka Singh (4/28) was on point with her lengths.

Renuka rattled the Sri Lanka top-order with three quick strikes – Hasini Perera (1), Vishmi Gunaratne (3) and Harshitha Madavi (0). Even as wickets tumbled at one end, lower-order batter Ama Kanchana held fort for the home team with an unbeaten 47 off 83 deliveries (2 fours). While Renuka picked up her fourth scalp in Oshadi Ranasinghe (10) in the 45th over, off-spinner Deepti Sharma (2/30) bagged wickets off the last two balls of the innings.

“I am working on my strengths and I am working on my variations. I am hitting the hard lengths, which is helping me. We had decided to bowl because of overcast weather. We thought that the conditions would help us,” said Renuka, the ‘Player of the match’. India had won the first ODI by four wickets and will eye a 3-0 whitewash when it plays the final match of the series on Thursday.