SL-W vs IND-W: Pratika's fifty powers India to a nine-wicket win vs Sri Lanka
Opener Pratika Rawal struck a fine half-century after spinners Sneh Rana and debutant Shree Charani starred with the ball as a clinical India outclassed Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the rain-hit opening ODI of the women's tri-nation series here Sunday.
Opting to bowl, India bundled out Sri Lanka for 147 in a curtailed 39-over-a-side contest, with Sneh (three for 31) and Shree (two for 26) sharing five wickets between them, while senior off-spinner Deepti Sharma (two for 22) also chipped in.
India chased down the modest target in 29.4 overs, with Smriti Mandhana (43) providing a fluent start before Pratika (50 not out) and Harleen Deol (48 not out) took the visitors home without much fuss.
AS IT HAPPENED: SL-W vs IND-W Highlights, ODI Tri-Nation Series
India will next face South Africa on April 29.
Playing only her seventh ODI, Pratika, who had slammed a record-breaking 154 against Ireland earlier this year, continued her rich vein of form. The 24-year-old, who holds the record for most runs by any batter in the first six women's ODIs, anchored the chase with maturity.
Pratika stitched two crucial partnerships — 54 off 59 balls with Smriti and a 95-run stand off 120 balls with Harleen — to take India past the finish line.
The right-hander, who made optimum use of her exquisite cover drives, struck seven boundaries in her 62-ball knock, while Smriti found the fence six times during her 46-ball stay.
Pratika brought up her fourth successive fifty with a single, off the penultimate ball of the chase before Harleen sealed the win with a boundary.
Smriti and Pratika set the tone by putting on 50 runs inside nine overs before Inoka Ranaweera broke the stand, deceiving the left-hander in flight and completing a return catch.
RELATED: Why is Indian team wearing black armbands against Sri Lanka?
India was 54 for one in the 10th over at that time.
Sri Lanka managed to tighten the screws momentarily with two maiden overs but with no scoreboard pressure, Pratika and Haraleen calmly saw India through.
Earlier, with the over reduced due to a delay of three hours following heavy showers, Indian bowlers used the conditions to their advantage and did not allow Sri Lankan batters to settle down at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
None of the Sri Lankan batters could get a big knock as Hasini Perera made 30 in 46 balls and Kavisha Dilhari contributed a 26-ball 25.
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