India’s opening powerplay went at barely four an over, and in the middle of their innings, they lost four wickets for just four runs. However, a counterattacking seventh-wicket stand of 103 from 99 balls between Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma, along with Sneh Rana’s devastating 28-run cameo, meant India still posted a healthy 269 for 8 at the end of their rain-shortened 47-over innings.
Sri Lanka for their part did themselves a few favours in the second half of the innings, dropping Amanjot on no less than four different occasions – 18, 37, 50 and 53. Even if a wet ball courtesy the intermittent rains could be cited as a mitigating factor, it was just the sort of fortune India needed after their innings had been in danger of going off the rails near the halfway point.
Inoka Ranaweeera was the pick of the bowlers, ending with figures of 4 for 46 in nine overs – though she could have had a five-for, if not for being one of the players to drop Amanjot, off her own bowling too. Ranaweera though is the oldest bowler, at 39, to pick up a four-wicket haul in a women’s World Cup.
Brief scores:
India Women 269 for 8 inn50 overs (Pratika Rawal 37,Harleen Deopl 48, Harmanpreet Kaur 21, Amanjot Kaur 57, Deepti Sharma 53, Sneh Rana 28*; Udehika Prabodhani 2-55, Inoka Ranaweera 4-46) vs Sri Lanka Women
[Cricinfo]
