Sri Lanka women overrun India to set up facinating final between Asia’s best. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor).
Sri Lanka’s women are firming as a genuine contender to the world’s best after a supercharged win over India in the tri-series also featuring South Africa.
Level on win/loss points with India, it is shaping as a India/ Sri Lanka final in if things go to plan in Colombo.
Set an imposing target of 275 by India, Sri Lanka’s girls set about the chase with careful planning, and smashed their way to 278 for7 in a memorable three wicket win with five balls to spare.
India are rated second in the world to Australia so the Sri Lankan success, immaterial of whether they win the tournament or not, suggests they are a danger team against anyone.
They need to improve their success away from home.
Chamari Athapaththu will be the most relieved and elated after shouldering the burden of captaincy for a long period apart from being the batting difference between wins and losses in the past.
Under the new coaching structure headed by former Sri Lanka cricketer Rumesh Ratnayake, the ladies have found a balanced team that has unearthed some exciting talent.
The win means that Sri Lanka can focus on success in both men’s and women’s cricket with equal optimism.
Sri Lanka’s win came on the back of some in depth batting after losing wickets at regular intervals, but they hung tough to see the team home to a memorable victory.
India have learned through past experience, not to write off their opponents, mainly if they remember that they were upstaged in the Asia Cup final by the Lankans last year.
Ideally a win in the tournament at home will let the rest know a new challenger is in the offing.
Two more games will decide the finalists. South Africa, with no wins so far, will have to upstage both teams if they hope to sneak into the final on a better net run rate.
