The Women in Blue overpowered the Lankan Ladies for the 5th time in an Asia Cup.
In the Asia Cup finale on Saturday, in Sylhet, India beat Sri Lanka by chasing an easy target. India seized the Asia Cup from Sri Lanka by 8 wickets.
Sri Lanka after 14 years
In the Asia Cup finale on Saturday, in Sylhet, India beat Sri Lanka for the 5th time in an Asia Cup by chasing an easy target of 65 for 9. Sri Lanka was playing their first tournament final in 14 years and was blown out after deciding to bat on a slow and turning pitch. While India made a change, Radha Yadav is out and Hemalatha is in, while Sri Lanka keeps the same starting lineup it had against Pakistan in the semifinals.
They only managed to score 65 for 9 and were knocked off by India in 8.3 overs, while Smriti Mandhana led the innings by striking a magnificent score of 51 off 25 balls. There was a series after Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu got run out in the 3rd over, following Anushka Sanjeewani, who was also run out in 6 balls later.
Hasini Perera was returned by Renuka, who has been in excellent form since the August Commonwealth Games. After checking her stroke, the left-handed batswoman was caught at cover, leaving Sri Lanka at 9 for 4. Although the Indians bowled with control, their poor shot choice was more of a factor in Sri Lanka’s precipitous decline.
After a spectacular victory over Pakistan in the semifinals, Sri Lanka appeared overwhelmed by the moment. Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Sneh Rana each took two wickets each, while Renuka Singh secured a three-wicket haul. Only Oshadi Ranasinghe and Inoka Ranaweera scored in double digits for Sri Lanka.
India easily lost Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues
India easily lost Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues during the run chase. However, both batters performed admirably throughout the game, with Jemimah making a successful comeback from injury and Shafali returning to her form.
Along with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, the graceful Mandhana played some superb strokes to complete the formality (11 not out, off 14). Smriti put in 6 boundaries and 3 over-boundaries. She promptly finished the game by hitting a maximum off Oshadi Ranasinghe. But Mandhana lifted her bat and slammed a six to finish the game and get her 18th fifty in her T20I career.
India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup the following year are given a boost by this victory. During the campaign, they were allowed to test out individuals for multiple positions, which also contributed to their one defeat, against Pakistan in the league phase.
Few people anticipated that the game would be this one-sided, even though India came into the match as the favourite. Finally, the monsters of 2018 have been put to rest with grace, and new Asian Champions have emerged.
After their victory, which was seen by a huge crowd, the Indians toured the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and made a nice gesture by taking a picture with the entire grounds crew.
