India-W brush aside Sri Lanka in T20I series opener

The Indian women’s team’s return to cricket after the World Cup win was met by a roaring start in the five-match T20I series, as they cruised past Sri Lanka without breaking a sweat.

Miserly bowling from the hosts set the tone early as Sri Lanka were reduced to 121/6 in 20 overs, while a composed chase from the batters saw them chase down the target in just 14.4 overs.

Winning the toss, India opted to bowl first, with 20-year-old Vaishnavi Sharma handed her international debut.

Although skipper Chamari Athapaththu (15) started with a note of aggression, her dismissal slowed down things drastically for Sri Lanka.

While Vishmi Gunaratne (39) majorly contributed to the scorecard, it was only cameos from Hasini Perera (20) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (21) that allowed them to stay afloat.

However, a slow scoring rate left Sri Lanka in a serious spot of bother. Kranti Gaud, Deepti Sharma and Shree Charani claimed a wicket apiece while there were three run-outs, underlining India's fielding flair in the series opener.

Sri Lanka were restricted to 121/6, allowing India to prime themselves for a comfortable chase.

Chasing a modest target, India lost Shafali Verma (9) early. However, Smriti Mandhana (25) steadied the Indian ship while an incoming Jemimah Rodrigues looked in fine nick. Rodrigues (69*) set the tempo of the chase. Mandhana and Rodrigues added 54 runs for the second wicket before Inoka Ranaweera removed the former.

However, that was the last time Sri Lanka could manage to scratch the surface. Harmanpreet Kaur (15*) and Rodrigues saw off the remainder of the chase as India secured the game with more than five overs and eight wickets to spare. Jemimah Rodrigues bagged the Player of the Match award for her exceptional match-winning knock.