IND-W vs SL-W 2022: Openers fire as all-round India seal ODI series with 10-wicket drubbing
The Indian women's team dominated from start to finish, with both the bat and ball, to hammer Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the second ODI.
FollowIn the second One-Day International in Pallekele on Monday, the Indian women's side overpowered Sri Lanka with both the bat and the ball, crushing them by 10 wickets to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
It's important to note that the Indian team's openers delivered for the first time on the tour, combining for 174 runs to send the guests home in just 25.4 overs and finally dissuade their critics after being criticised for their subpar performance.
Smriti Mandhana's stroke-filled 94 off 83 balls and Shafali Verma's run-a-ball 71 helped pave the way for the decisive victory after the bowlers had dismissed Sri Lanka for 173. The pair's partnership against Sri Lanka is the best for all wickets for India.
The Indians entered the second match against a shaky Sri Lankan team as clear favourites after easily winning the first ODI.
They also won the earlier three-match T20I series, which gave the visitors more confidence. After India won the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain, requested that Sri Lanka bat first on a surface that would be advantageous for the bowlers.
The hosts quickly got into many difficulties as pacer Renuka Singh was accurate with her lengths right away. With the bat, the 26-year-old was unbeatable. He had a career-high 4 for 28 and rattled the Sri Lankan top order with three rapid strikes.
Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, lower-order batter Ama Kanchana held the fort for the hosts with an unbeaten 47 off 83 balls. Seasoned off-spinner Deepti Sharma's two wickets off the last two balls helped India bowl out the Lankans.Â
Pacer Renuka Singh was accurate with her lengths right away, which put the hosts in a lot of trouble right away. The 26-year-old was unbeatable with a bat. He shocked the Sri Lankan top order with three quick strikes and got a career-high 4 for 28.
Ama Kanchana, a lower-order batsman, kept the hosts in check for 83 balls, although wickets continued to fall frequently. Deepti Sharma, an experienced off-spinner, assisted India in bowling out Sri Lanka by taking two wickets off the final two balls.
"We have been talking about long partnerships. We discussed that we need to give 100 per cent. The partnership was outstanding. It is important to have bowling options," Harmanpreet said after the game. India won the first ODI by four wickets and will look to complete a 3-0 sweep when they meet the home team in the final match on Thursday.Â
(With inputs from PTI)
