The Sri Lankan women faltered yet again as India cruised to another commanding victory in the third T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. The hosts carved out an eight-wicket win with plenty to spare and thereby took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Pacer Renuka Singh, brought in as a powerplay threat, started poorly but then came back to finish with four wickets as Sri Lanka were restricted to 112 despite what looked like a good start after the first five overs. Deepti Sharma was crucial again, with three wickets that makes her the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is.
Sri Lanka’s 112 was never going to pose any challenge for the Indians. Shefali Verma, who scored an unbeaten 69 in the second T20I in Visakhapatnam, picked up from where she left. She was all over the Lankan bowlers, who had no clue on how to bowl to the dynamite batter.
Though Smriti Mandhana (1) made yet another early exit, Shefali was unfazed by what happened at the other end. She, in her nonchalant ways, went about hammering the Lankan bowlers to the fence. She and Jemimah Rodrigues added 40 to the total with Jemimah contributing only 9 of those before becoming Dilhari’s second wicket.
Shafali and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur ensure there were no further hiccups as they finished the game in 13.2 overs. India made 115 with Shafali remaining unconquered on 79 off 42 balls with 11 fours and three sixes. Kaur was on 21 off 18 balls with two boundaries.
Another sorry effort by Lankan batters
Put into bat, Lanka made another sorry start with skipper Chamari Athapaththu (3) falling cheaply. The 25-run stand for the first wicket was due to Hasini Perera, who looked threatening in her brief 18-ball innings which fetched her and the team 25 runs with five hits to the fence.
The Lankan batters had no idea on how to tackle pacer Renuka Singh. After Deepthi Sharma got rid of Chamari, Renuka took over as she accounted for three of the first four wickets.
She began by having Hasini caught by Deepti Sharma and then sent back Harshitha Samarawickrama (2) caught off her own bowling. She then trapped Nilakshika Silva (4) leg before to reduce the visitors to 45 for four.
Imesha Dulani and Kavisha Dilhari added 40 for the fifth wicket to prop up the score but Deepti got back into the act to pack off Dilhari, who scored a 13-ball 20 with two fours and a six.
Renuka then had Dulani caught by Rodrigues for 27 (32 balls, 4×4). Deepti had her third scalp by bowling Malsha Shehani (5). Kaushini Nuthyangana made an unbeaten 19 off 16 balls with two boundaries to take the visitors past the 100-run mark. But it was yet another futile effort by the Lankans as their lack of firepower in the batting is being thoroughly exposed.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka: Hasini Perera c Sharma b Singh 25, Chamari Athapaththu c H Kaur b Sharma 3, Harshitha Samarawickrama c & b Singh 2, Imesha Dulani c Rodrigues b Singh 27, Nilakshika Silva lbw Singh 4, Kavisha Dilhari c AB Kaur b Sharma 20, Kaushini Nuthayangana (not out) 19, Malsha Shehani b Sharma 5, Malki Madara (not out) 1; Extras: (B1, LB2, W3) 6. Total: (For 7 wickets in 20 overs) 112.
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-31, 3-32, 4-45, 5-85, 6-90, 7-98.
Bowling: Renuka Singh 4-1-21-4, Kranti Gaud 4-0-22-0, Deepti Sharma 4-0-18-3, Vaishnavi Sharma 3-0-14-0, Amanjot Kaur 4-0-23-0, Shree Charani 1-0-11-0.
India: Shafali Verma (not out) 79, Smriti Mandhana lbw Dilhari 1, Jemimah Rodrigues b Dilhari 9, Harmanpreet Kaur (not out) 21; Extras: (LB1, NB1, W3) 5. Total: (For two wickets in 13.2 overs) 115.
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-67.
Bowling: Malsha Shehani 2.2-0-28-0, Malki Madara 2-0-11-0, Nimasha Meepage 2-0-29-0, Kavisha Dilhari 3-0-18-2, Inoka Ranaweera 4-0-28-0.
