India beat Sri Lanka in first ODI after a scare

Nilakshi de Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani added 47 for the sixth wicket for Sri Lanka

India beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in the opening ODI of the three-match series in Pallekele yesterday, but not before a scare. 

Sri Lanka offspinner Oshadi Ranasinghe took two early wickets, left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera took 4 for 39 through the middle overs, and for a brief period, it seemed that Sri Lanka would successfully defend 171.

However, their below-par total meant India’s struggling batting line-up could creep up and register a four-wicket win, bringing relief to a unit that would have wanted to chase it down with ease at the halfway mark.

For India, the difference between victory and defeat was the 62-run fourth-wicket partnership between captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Harleen Deol. Their partnership, which came at a run rate of 6.2, ensured that not only were runs added on a deteriorating surface, but they came quickly. Deol, in particular, was aggressive in her approach making 34 in 40 balls. Harmanpreet was more watchful, scoring only three boundaries in her 44, and opted to pierce the gaps and push her partner for the extra run when on offer. The duo followed the template set by Shafali Verma in her 40-ball 35 up top, but the three quick top-order wickets and then the Ranaweera burst in the middle overs meant the final hour of the game was full of nerves.

But Deepti Sharma ensured she stayed till the end to shepherd the chase through. Coming in at No. 6, and high on confidence from her three-wicket haul in the first innings, Deepti put on an unbeaten 38-run stand with Pooja Vastrakar for the seventh wicket to seal the win with 72 balls to spare. Deepti made 22 off 41 balls, while Vastrakar ended the game with a six to finish on 21 off 19.

Deepti was one of two stars with the ball for India. Renuka Singh also picked up a three-wicket haul to bowl out Sri Lanka for 171. It was Renuka’s early strike that made the biggest difference in Sri Lanka’s chances of searching for the win after choosing to bat. She got the big wicket of Sri Lanka’s star batter and captain Chamari Athapaththu in the third over of the morning, and later closed her day out with two late wickets.

Opener Hasini was the early aggressor in Sri Lanka’s powerplay and didn’t rein herself in despite the early wicket of Athapaththu. She struck five fours in her innings, and was the second-highest scorer for Sri Lanka. Nilakshi, who top-scored with 43, hung in as Sri Lanka’s middle order tried to rebuild but fell late in the innings to Renuka’s off-pace full ball.

The highest partnership of the innings came for the sixth wicket with Nilakshi and wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani (18) adding 47 runs off 91 balls. Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets in 40 runs.

Scores

nSri Lanka Women 171 (48.2) (Hasini Perera 37, Harshitha Samarawickrama 28, Nilakshi de Silva 43, Renuka Singh 3/29, Deepti Sharma 3/25, Pooja Vastrakar 2/26)

nIndia Women 176-6 (38) (Shafali Verma 35, Harmanpreet Kaur 44, Harleen Deol 34, Deepti Sharma 22*, Pooja Vastrakar 21*, Oshadi Ranasinghe 2/34, Inoka Ranaweera 4/39)