IND-W vs SL-W: Smriti Mandhana, Sneh Rana star as India beat Sri Lanka by 97 runs to win WODI tri-nation series in Colombo

India secured the tri-series title by defeating Sri Lanka by 97 runs in the final on Sunday, May 11 at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Opting to bat first, the Women in Blue posted an impressive score of 342/7 in their allotted 50 overs, thanks to a remarkable century from Smriti Mandhana (116 off 101). In response, Sri Lanka struggled to get their chase going and were eventually bowled out for 245 in 48.2 overs.

Sneh Rana (4/38) and Amanjot Kaur (3/54) worked together effectively to apply relentless pressure on the hosts, ultimately leading to India's dominant victory. Sri Lanka's chase got off to a poor start with opener Hasini Perera dismissed for a duck in the first over. Captain Chamari Athapaththu came in at number three and steadied the innings with a 68-run partnership for the second wicket with Vishmi Gunaratne (36 off 41).

Although Athapththu reached her 18th ODI fifty, she struggled to maintain the required run rate and was soon dismissed by Sneh Rana. Despite efforts from Nilakshi de Silva (48 off 58), Sri Lanka could not keep up with the pressure and were eventually all out for 245.

In the earlier innings, Indian openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal cautiously began their innings after India captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat first. Mandhana scored her first boundary on the fourth delivery and continued to mix caution with aggression, unsettling the Sri Lankan bowlers. The duo of Mandhana and Rawal put together a 70-run partnership for the first wicket off 89 deliveries, gradually increasing their scoring rate after a cautious start.

Mandhana and Harleen Deol teamed up for an impressive 120-run partnership off just 106 balls for the second wicket, with Deol scoring 47 runs from 56 balls. After they were dismissed, Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in with a quick 41 off 30 balls, while Jemimah Rodrigues added 44 runs off 29 balls, helping India reach a total of 342.

On another note, India is off to a strong start in their World Cup preparations, having secured a victory in the tri-series. Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, the team is eager to keep the momentum going as they face England in June.

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