India captain Harmanpreet Kaur lauded bowlers performance after the team restricted Sri Lanka Women to 128 for 9 in the second T20I at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Sneh Rana was the pick of the bowlers with an excellent spell of 1 for 11 in the middle overs.
After opting to bowl, India got the early breakthrough and kept Sri Lanka from building momentum. Kranti Gaud continued her good form by dismissing Vishmi Gunaratne for just 1 in the first over. Arundathi Reddy gave away a few runs early, but the Indian bowlers applied consistent pressure to prevent Sri Lanka from settling.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell videos spark debate as England’s Ashes struggles deepen
ALSO READ: IND vs SL: Shafali Verma’s quickfire 69 helps India wrap up chase in 11.5 overs against Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka managed to score just 39 runs in the powerplay, with skipper Chamari Athapaththu contributing significantly. She smashed two sixes in her 31 off 24 balls before being trapped by Sneh Rana, who came in for Deepti Sharma, sidelined with a fever.
“Really happy with the way we bowled today. The bowlers took responsibility and restricted them. We know what Sneh can do, and everyone in the bowling department stepped up,” Harmanpreet said after the match.
Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama tried to steady the innings after the early wickets, taking the score to 66 for 2 by the halfway mark. However, scoring became tough in the middle overs. Perera struggled to find boundaries and was dismissed for 22 off 28 balls by Shree Charani in the 13th over, ending their 44-run partnership. Harshitha scored 33 before being run out in the 17th over. Shree Charani (2/23) and Vaishnavi Sharma (2/32) were the standout bowlers, while Kranti Gaud (1/21) and Sneh Rana (1/11) also chipped in with wickets.
“Really happy with Vaishnavi today. In the last game we missed some opportunities, but she bowled well in the crucial overs. We keep learning from mistakes, and today the bowlers set a standard. Everyone is raising their game and making my job easier,” added Harmanpreet.
In the chase, Shafali Verma led India with an unbeaten 69 off 34 balls. She shared 29 runs with Smriti Mandhana, who scored 14 off 11. Jemimah Rodrigues contributed 26 off 15 balls, helping India reach 113 in the first 10 overs. The team completed the chase comfortably at 129 for 3 in 11.5 overs, with Richa Ghosh hitting the winning runs.