Sri Lanka Women Cricket team made history when they outclassed their neighbours Indian Women Cricket team by 6 wickets in the 3rd and series deciding T20 international match played at Visakapatnam.
This is the 1st time the Sri Lankan lasses won a series against the Indian lasses. The Sri Lankan skipper Shashikala Siriwardene led from the front during this series as she managed to guide her team to victory in both wins top scoring for her motherland.
India won the toss and elected to bat 1st and soon found batting hard as Udeshika Prabodhani removed two top order batswomen to put India on the back foot but a valiant 45 ball 38 by Poonam Raut ensured India’s recovery to a small extent but Sri Lankan spinners kept tightening the screws as India were restricted to 87/7 in the 17th over. Indian vice-captain Jhulan Goswami played a gem of an innings in the latter part of the Indian innings when she scored a quick-fire 37 runs in 26 balls to take the Indian total to respectability. Indians could only manage 117 runs losing 8 wickets in 20 overs. Udeshika Prabodhani and Maduri Samuddhika took 2 scalps each for the visitors.
Sri Lank lost their opening batswomen Yashoda Mendis in the 2nd over itself in their chase of 118.
In-form left handed batswomen Chamari Atapattu could only score 10 runs while number 3 batswomen Deepika Rasangika was dismissed for 21 putting the Sri Lankan chase in a spot of bother as Sri Lanka were 44/3 when skipper Shashikala Siriwardene was joined by Chamari Polgampola in the 9th over. The 4th wicket pair put on 45 runs to help the Sri Lankan cause. After the dismissal of Chamari Polgampola, skipper Shashikala was partnered up by Eshani Kaushalya and the experienced pair took the Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket team over the winning line in the 19th over. Eshani Kaushalya gave the final blows when she made an unbeaten 24 runs in 10 balls with 3 huge sixes and Shashikala Siriwardene remained unbeaten on 46 runs. Slow left arm spinner Ekta Bisht took 2 wickets for the hosts.
Brief Scores :
India Women – 117/8 in 20 overs : Poonam Raut 38, Jhulan Goswami 37*, Udeshika Prabodhani 2/20, Maduri Samuddhika 2/18.
Sri Lanka Women – 121/4 in 18.5 overs : Shashikala Siriwardene 46*, Eshani Kaushalya 24*, Deepika Rasangika 21, Ekta Bisht 2/22.
Match Result : Sri Lanka Women won by 6 wickets.
Series Result : Sri Lanka Women won the series 2-1.
