India on Saturday continued from where they stopped by beating Sri Lanka in their last Group A game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Saturday.
With three straight wins to the game, Spinner Radha Yadav was on song taking four wickets. This is so far her career-best 4/23. Two-time player of the match so far in the competition, Shafali Verma had another blistering performance with 34-ball 47 to power India to a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka batted first and India did the business by restricting them to a modest 113 for nine. Left-arm spinner Radha (4/23) showed that she was in top form when she ran through the rivals’ batting line-up. The high point for her was the dismissal of skipper Chamari Atapattu.
With a target of 113, Shafali continued her blistering form by top-scoring India, and they met the target in just 14.4 overs to win the game in a flawless fashion.
India has now entered the last four without losing a match. The all-win record is a confidence booster for a team that struggled to win games during their tune-up games. With the fourth win in the tournament, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side has now consolidated their position on top of the group with eight points.
Enroute to her 47, 16-year-old Shafali hit seven fours and a six in her knock. Unfortunately, she couldn’t reach her maiden fifty for the second time in the tournament. She was ran-out in the 11th over. It could be recalled that the inform star had scored 46 against New Zealand in their last game.
Kaur and opener Smriti Mandhana could not maintain their good starts. Their wickets were taken for 15 and 17, respectively.
Mandhana was removed when she mistimed the ball to Kavisha Dilhari in the fifth over while the skipper was dismissed while trying to clear the long on fielder in the 10th over.
While batting Sri Lanka had a bad start when opener Umesha Thimashini (2) was dismissed while trying to go for a big shot off a Deepti Sharma delivery. She was caught by Rajeshwari Gayakwad in the third over.
Atapattu (33), who has been in sparkling form, continued from where she stopped by hitting five fours and a six and stitched a 30-run partnership with Harshitha Madavi (12).
Madavi was the first to go when left-arm spinner Gayakwad tightened the screws in the eighth over to get her maiden wicket.
Radha came in to stop the Sri Lankan captain from getting her side into the game in the ninth over. After hitting a six over the deep wicket, Atapattu was caught at square leg.
From there, their batting order collapsed with Radha taking out Hansima Karunaratne (7) and Hasini Perera (7) in her next over. She later cleaned out wicket-keeper Anushka Sanjeewani (1).
Other bowlers that performed well apart from Radha are Gayakwad (2/18), who picked up two wickets, while Deepti (1/16), Shikha Pandey (1/35), and Poonam Yadav (1/20) shared one apiece.
Written by Oladipupo Mojeed
