India Posts Big Total
Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana gave India a good start by building a 50-run opening stand. Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues made useful contributions in the middle and built important partnerships. At 145 for 4 in the 30th over, India looked set for a 250-run total. But once Ghosh arrived, the scoring pace increased—especially in partnership with Deepti Sharma. Ghosh scored 58 off 48 balls, injecting energy into India's innings. She hit all three sixes in the arc between long-on and wide long-on. Most of her boundaries came through mid-on. India posted 275 for 9 in 50 overs on a slow pitch, thanks to Richa Ghosh's explosive knock.
Team Effort from Sri Lanka's Batters
In reply, Sri Lanka’s batters worked together. They chased the target in 49.1 overs, despite the venue being tough for chasing teams. Every player contributed. First, Vishmi Gunaratne struggled early but managed 33 runs.Then, Harshitha Samarawickrama played smoothly, scoring 53 off 61 balls. Meanwhile, Kavisha Dilhari added a busy 35 off 32 balls.
Notably, Samarawickrama led a 78-run partnership with Gunaratne, laying a solid foundation.
Captain Athapaththu Takes Back Seat
Interestingly, Chamari Athapaththu had a quiet outing with the bat. She came in at No. 4 as Sri Lanka experimented with their top-order. She scored 23 off 33 balls, which was moderate by her standards. However, this time, her teammates took charge and stepped up when it mattered most.
Silva Sparks Momentum Shift
Soon after Athapaththu's dismissal, Nilakshika Silva took control. She played a fearless knock, probably the best of her career. Right away, she showed intent by stepping out and hitting Sneh Rana for six over long-on. That was just the beginning.
Silva blasted 56 off 33 balls, hitting three sixes and five fours. She targeted square boundaries and also found gaps through fine leg. Notably, her best six came against Shree Charani, whom she smashed over long-on after charging down the pitch. No other Sri Lankan batter managed to hit a six.
When Silva arrived, Sri Lanka still needed 124 from 107 balls. By the time she got out, the equation had dropped to 38 from 44 balls. Although India still had a chance, Kumari's quick boundaries and Sanjeewani's calm batting ended those hopes.
Lower-Order Delivers the Final Blow
Towards the end, Sugandika Kumari and Anushka Sanjeewani finished the job. Kumari played aggressively and stayed unbeaten on 19 off 20 balls, her highest international score. Meanwhile, Sanjeewani remained not out on 23 from 28 balls. Eventually, she struck the winning runs with an aerial sweep that flew over short fine leg. Immediately, the Sri Lankan dugout celebrated with joy.
Indian Bowlers Under Pressure
Although Sneh Rana bowled well and took 3 for 45 in 10 overs, she lacked support. Others struggled to contain runs. Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, and Pratika Rawal took one wicket each. However, all three gave away runs at more than six per over. Eventually, Silva and Dilhari turned the game by hitting 20 runs off Reddy's 37th over, which became a crucial turning point.
All-Round Performance From Kumari
Though Athapaththu didn’t shine with the bat, she delivered with the ball. She took 3 for 43. Still, she dropped a simple catch and gave Jemimah Rodrigues a second chance. Meanwhile, Sugandika Kumari had a fantastic all-round performance. She grabbed 3 for 44 and later played a key role in finishing the chase.