IND vs SL 1st T20I: Jemimah Rodrigues shines with 69* as Indian women trounce Sri Lanka by 8 wickets

VISAKHAPATNAM: Taking the field for the first time as the reigning ODI champions, India began their preparations for the next year’s T20 World Cup in style with a dominating eight-wicket victory against hapless Sri Lanka to take 1-0 lead in the five-match T20 series, at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.

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Inviting the opposition to bat first, India rode on a collective bowling effort to restrict Sri Lanka to a below-par 121/6 in good batting conditions. Later, Jemimah Rodrigues provided a masterclass in chasing with an unbeaten 69 off 44 balls (10x4) to guide India home in 14.4 overs.




Chasing the total, India lost Shafali Varma in the second over (9 off 5b; 2x4) when she was caught at mid-wicket off Kawya Kavindi. But Mandhana and Jemimah added 54 runs (42 balls) for the second wicket to lay the foundation. Mandhana and Jemimah found gaps with perfection.

Both combined to hit the 17-year-old leftarm wrist spinner Shashini Gimhani for 16 runs to take India to 55/1 in powerplay.

Mandhana (25 off 25b; 4x4) was dismissed against the run of play when she was caught at the extra deep cover off Inoka Ranaweera in the 9th over. At the other end, Jemimah used her deft touches, guiding the spinners to boundaries behind the wicket.


She lofted Gimhani over mid-off to reach her half-century in 34 deliveries and reverse-swept and cut next hitting four boundaries in the 12th over. In the company of captain Kaur (15 not out), Jemimah ensured an easy win for the hosts.

Earlier, captain Chamari Athapaththu (15 off 12b; 3x4) began well pulling and cutting Kranti Goud for two boundaries in the third over. But she was done in by a ball that moved in sharply to rattle her stumps in the same over.

Vishmi Gunaratne (39 off 43b; 1x4, 1x6) and Hasini Perera (20 off 23b; 2x4) then chose caution over aggression taking them to 31/1 in powerplay. They added just 31 in 38 deliveries as the boundaries were hard to come by despite the bowlers struggling with the dew.

Brief Scores:

• Sri Lanka Women: 121-6 in 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 39; Deepti Sharma 1/20) lost to India Women: 122-2 in 14.4 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 69 not out, Smriti Mandhana 25; Inoka Ranaweera 1/17) by eight wickets.

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