Mandhana ton, Rana-Kaur strikes seal India Tri-Series title
Colombo, May 11 (UNI) Smriti Mandhana's stylish century laid the foundation before Sneh Rana and Amanjot Kaur ripped through the Sri Lankan batting lineup as India Women crushed hosts Sri Lanka Women by 97 runs in the final of the Sri Lanka Women's Tri-Nation Series here on Sunday.
The Indian innings was headlined by Mandhana's sparkling 116 off 101 balls — her 11th ODI century — featuring 15 boundaries and two sixes. Her innings was not without drama, as she was dropped twice before making the hosts pay with a commanding knock. The left-hander brought up her hundred in style, hammering four successive boundaries off Chamari Athapaththu.
India posted a formidable 342 for 7 after opting to bat first. Mandhana's 120-run stand with Harleen Deol (47 off 56) stabilised the innings after a brisk 30 by Pratika Rawal. The momentum continued as skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (41 off 30), Jemimah Rodrigues (44 off 29), and a late cameo from Amanjot Kaur (18 off 12) — which included back-to-back boundaries before she holed out off Malki Madara — propelled India to a massive total.
Jemimah and Harmanpreet played attractive cameos; both struck multiple boundaries, with Jemimah's inside-out drives and Harmanpreet's wristy sweeps particularly eye-catching. Deepti Sharma added a brisk unbeaten 20, peppered with two boundaries in the death overs.
Sri Lanka's bowlers toiled hard, with Dewmi Vihanga (2/69), Sugandika Kumari (2/59), and Malki Madara (2/74) sharing the wickets but failing to stem the flow of runs.
In reply, the Sri Lankans never truly got going. Captain Chamari Athapaththu's 51 and Nilakshi de Silva's 48 showed brief resistance, but wickets fell at regular intervals. Sneh Rana was the wrecker-in-chief, spinning a web around the batters with 4 for 38, while Amanjot's 3 for 54 derailed the middle order.
India's bowlers executed their plans to perfection, supported by sharp fielding and consistent pressure. Shree Charani and Pratika Rawal bowled tight spells to dry up the runs and set up the collapse.
Having topped the league stage, India Women capped their campaign with a clinical all-round performance to lift the trophy, reaffirming their supremacy in the tournament.
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