IND-W vs SL-W 1st T20I: Rodrigues, bowlers star as India beat Sri Lanka by 34 runs to take 1-0 series lead
India Today
1st T20I: Indian women rode on the heroic efforts of Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav and Deepti Sharma to beat Sri Lanka women by 34 runs and take a 1-0 series lead on Thursday.
The Indian women's cricket team dished out a clinical performance to begin the Sri Lanka tour with a win on Thursday and take a 1-0 series lead in Dambulla. Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav and Deepti Sharma starred as India defeated Sri Lanka women by 34 runs.
Rodrigues marked her return to the side with a 27-ball 36 and lifted the Indian women's team to 138 for six against a disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack in the first T20 international here on Thursday.
India's new all-format skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat, but it was the Sri Lankans who had a dream start.
India lost opener Smriti Mandhana (1) in the third over of the game, the 25-year-old becoming the victim of veteran spinner Oshadi Ranasinghe while looking to free her arms. She hit a tossed-up delivery straight to Chamari Aththapatu at mid-on.
.@JemiRodrigues bags the Player of the Match award for her solid batting effort. #TeamIndia begin the tour on a winning note as they beat Sri Lanka by 34 runs in the first #SLvIND T20I. Scorecard https://t.co/XZabWPxI67 pic.twitter.com/XHKtCMc1mA
Sabbhineni Meghana was out for a golden duck, sent back to the dressing room by old warhorse Ranasinghe.
Losing two wickets early and visibly under pressure in the hot and humid Dambulla, it was the duo of Harmanpreet and Shefali Verma, who took control of the precarious situation.
