India women’s team completes 3-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka

PALLEKELE: Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar produced solid all-round performances as India cantered to a 39-run win over Sri Lanka in the final women’s ODI here on Thursday to complete a 3-0 rout.

Harmanpreet (75 off 88 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes) and Pooja (56 not out off 65 balls, 3 sixes) first bailed the team out with a 97-run seventh-wicket stand, which ensured the visitor reached a decent total of 255 for nine. Off-spinner Harmanpreet (1/21) and pacer Pooja (2/33) then chipped in with breakthroughs as the India bowlers executed the plans perfectly to bundle the host out for 216 in 47.3 overs.

With nothing to lose, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu invited India to bat after winning the toss. The tourist lost Smriti Mandhana (6) early as the opener fell victim to a length delivery from offie Kavisha Dilhari (1/30).

While Mandhana could not make an impact, her opening partner Shafali Verma, who struck an unbeaten 71 in the second match, continued the good form. But, Shafali (49 off 50 balls, 5 fours) missed out on a second successive fifty by a whisker after she was trapped LBW by leg-spinner Rashmi de Silva (2/53).

Following No.3 batter Yastika Bhatia’s (30 off 38 balls, 5 fours) departure in the 18th over, India endured a middle-order collapse and was left tottering at 124 for six in the 27th. But, Harmanpreet batted with a lot of responsibility throughout her knock, with majority of the boundaries coming through the mid-wicket region.

In the other end, Pooja played perfect second fiddle to her skipper and hit her second half-century in one-day cricket.

Chamari (44 off 41 balls, 8 fours) and Hasini Perera (39 off 57 balls, 3 fours) showed positive intent at the beginning of the Sri Lanka chase by adding 56 runs for the second wicket. But, things went downhill after Chamari was sent back to the pavilion by Harmanpreet.

The home team found left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (3/36) difficult to get away and was put under pressure by most of the India bowlers. Nilakshi de Silva (48 not out off 59 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) remained unbeaten, but ran out of partners.

BRIEF SCORES: India Women 255/9 in 50 overs (Harmanpreet 75, Pooja 56*) bt Sri Lanka Women 216 in 47.3 overs (Nilakshi 48*, Chamari 44, Rajeshwari 3/36, Meghna 2/32, Pooja 2/33)