5 months ago
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Bowl first? Get them for 120. Bat first? Get 220.
The squad meetings whitethorn person possibly gone somewhat on those lines for the Women successful Blue successful the five-match T20I bid against Sri Lanka.
Fresh from their triumph astatine location successful the ODI World Cup, they are playing similar a champion broadside that is bristling with confidence.
Sri Lanka did travel up with a vastly improved batting show successful the 4th T20I astatine the Greenfield Stadium connected Sunday (December 28, 2025), but the bowlers had conceded acold excessively galore runs. The big frankincense won the lucifer by 30 runs, aft posting its biggest-ever T20I full (221 for two).
It was the archetypal clip India was batting archetypal successful the series. It was for the archetypal clip that Chamari Athapaththu was winning the toss.
After the mode her batters, herself included, struggled against a balanced Indian onslaught and failed to acceptable a decent target, it was hardly a astonishment to spot her take fielding.
It was hardly astonishing to spot Shafali Verma spell aft the Lankan bowlers, either, aft hitting back-to-back fifties. What was a spot astonishing was the mode she controlled her aggression. Adding a small spot of caution to the fearlessness of her batting could bash nary harm.
Prolific pair
Her opening basal of 162 with Smriti Mandhana — India’s highest for immoderate wicket — efficaciously ensured a 4-0 pb for her team. Remarkably, India’s each 3 highest partnerships successful the format beryllium to this pair.
Smriti, who hadn’t got going successful the bid till then, indispensable beryllium pleased with her 80. Her grin and her drives were backmost astatine their brightest.
Richa Ghosh besides lit up the stadium with her ain scintillating strokeplay, arsenic she clobbered a 16-ball 40 not out, aft being promoted to No. 3.
The squad absorption indispensable beryllium pleased with the mode she responded to the challenge, with the T20 World Cup not that acold away.
A 5-0 triumph would beryllium an perfect mode to commencement the mentation for that large event.
Make nary mistake, this Indian broadside volition not beryllium blessed with thing little successful a bid it has batted and bowled with specified dominance. Yes, the fielding hasn’t been arsenic good, and determination is surely country for improvement.
As for the Lankans, they indispensable beryllium hoping to physique connected the wide betterment they showed successful the past crippled and to debar their worst T20I bid decision successful history.
Teams
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt.), Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Richa Ghosh, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh, G. Kamalini, Shree Charani and Vaishnavi Sharma.
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (Capt.), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Imesha Dulani, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Malsha Shehani, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Nimasha Meepage, Kawya Kavindi, Rashmika Sewwandi and Malki Madara.
Match starts astatine 7 p.m.
