After trailing the three-match T20I series 0-2, Sri Lanka managed to register a win in the third and final T20I against India on Monday that was played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla.
1st innings: India 138/5 in 20 overs
India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first in the third T20I against Sri Lanka. The visitors did not get off to the best of starts as they lost their swashbuckling opening batter Shafali Verma cheaply for five runs in the first over of the match. Later Smriti Mandhana (22) and Sabbhineni Meghana (22) looked to consolidate the innings as they stitched a 41-run partnership for the second wicket. Towards the end, Kaur (39 not out) and Jemimah Rodrigues (33) played their part as they helped India post a respectable score of 138/5 in 20 overs on board. Though India put together a fighting total, none of the batters actually scored at a brisk pace. Apart from Pooja Vastrakar who muscled 13 runs off six balls, the rest of the batters did not look in a hurry to score their runs. On the other hand, with the ball for Sri Lanka, Sugandika Kumari, Ama Kanchana, Oshadi Ranasinghe and Inoka Ranaweera claimed one wicket each.
2nd innings: Sri Lanka 141/3 in 17 overs
The hosts made a lightwork of the run chase as they completed the formalities in just 17 overs with seven wickets in hand. Captain Chamari Athapaththu led from the front as she hammered an unbeaten 80 off 48 balls to steer her side to a comfortable win. In the process, the left-handed batter smashed 14 boundaries and a six. Though she lost her opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne (5) in the very first over of the run chase, Athapaththu was determined to take her side to the finishing line. She joined forces with Nilakshi de Silva (30) to put together 77-run partnership for the third wicket. While India were able to get the better of Sri Lankan batters in the first two T20Is, they looked off colour in the third T20I. Renuka Singh Thakur and Radha Yadav were the only wicket-takers for India as they picked up one apiece.
Leading from the front!
Chamari’s 80 Runs help Sri Lanka beat India by 7 Wickets in 3rd T20I
India seal the T20I series 2-1#CricketTwitter #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/qOeluaZFic
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 27, 2022
Player of the match and player of the series
The captains of both the teams won the awards. While the Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu bagged the player of the match award for her undefeated innings of 80 from 48 balls, India’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur clinched the player of the series award for scoring 92 runs and accounting for one wicket in three T20Is.
🚨Milestone🚨
2000 T20I Career Runs for Skipper Chamari Atapattu#CricketTwitter #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/j8VMa36QKO
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 27, 2022
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I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.