Key Points

Smriti Mandhana's brilliant century set up India Women's commanding win in the Tri-Series final. Sri Lanka struggled to chase 343, falling short by 97 runs despite Chamari Athapaththu's half-century. Mandhana credited the batting-friendly conditions while acknowledging her team's disciplined bowling. Sri Lanka's captain admitted fielding lapses and the need for power-hitters ahead of the World Cup.

Key Points: Smriti Mandhana Century Powers India to Tri-Series Win Over Sri Lanka

  • Mandhana's 116 anchors India's 342/7
  • Sri Lanka bowled out for 245 despite Athapaththu's 51
  • Sneh Rana takes 4/38 for India
  • Sri Lanka admits fielding struggles
2 min read

'Batting-friendly wickets, tough for bowlers': Mandhana after match-winning ton in Tri-Series Final

Smriti Mandhana's match-winning 116 leads India Women to a dominant 97-run victory over Sri Lanka in the Tri-Series final in Colombo.

"Mostly we plan our innings to first assess the conditions... All the wickets have been really good batting wickets. – Smriti Mandhana"

Colombo, May 11

Smriti Mandhana rose to the occasion, scoring a sublime 116 off 101 balls to help India Women clinch the Women's ODI Tri-Series title with a commanding 97-run win over Sri Lanka in the final held in Colombo on Sunday.

Batting first, India posted an imposing 342/7, with Mandhana anchoring the innings with characteristic poise and fluency. Her century set the tone for a dominant performance, as the Indian batters capitalised on favourable batting conditions to pile on the runs.

"Mostly we plan our innings to first assess the conditions. Initially they held their lines, but later on we found ways to score. All the wickets have been really good batting wickets. Not that great to bowl, but our bowlers did well regardless," Mandhana said after being named 'Player of the Match', as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

In reply, Sri Lanka never quite found the rhythm needed to challenge India's total. Despite some brief partnerships, they were eventually bowled out for 245, as the Indian bowling unit, led by their spinners and disciplined pace attack, kept chipping away with wickets.

Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu acknowledged India's superior performance and pointed to her team's missed chances in the field as a key factor in the result.

"First of all, congratulations to India, they played really well today. 300 plus is not easy to chase, we fought hard, but we dropped some catches, and missed some runouts as well. Even our bowling unit struggled in the middle overs, but Smriti (Mandhana) batted really well," Athapaththu said after the game.

She also admitted that fielding has been a concern throughout the tournament.

"We have to improve our fielding, we dropped catches and missed runout chances throughout the tournament. SLC is trying to get new fielding coaches as well, so we need to work on it," she said.

With the World Cup on the horizon, the Sri Lankan skipper emphasised the need to strengthen both their fielding and batting departments.

"We also need to improve our batting, we need some power-hitters, but work needs to be done before the World Cup," she added.

Brief score: India Women 342/7 in 50 overs (Smriti Mandhana 116, Harleen Deol 47; Sugandika Kumari 2/59) vs. Sri Lanka Women 245 in 48.2 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 51, Nilakshika Silva 48; Sneh Rana 4/38).

- ANI

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Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article:
R
Rahul K.
Smriti Mandhana is in sublime form! 🇮🇳 Her timing and placement were just perfect today. While batting conditions were good, you still need skill to convert it into a big score. Our women's team is looking strong ahead of the World Cup!
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Priya M.
Great win but I'm concerned about our bowling. If pitches are so batting-friendly, how will we defend totals in crucial WC matches? Sneh Rana did well but we need more variety in our attack. #WomenInBlue
A
Amit S.
Sri Lanka needs to up their game if they want to compete at international level. Fielding lapses and lack of power hitters will cost them dearly in WC. Good to see them acknowledging the issues though.
N
Neha P.
Mandhana's century was pure class! 👏 But let's not forget Harleen Deol's important contribution. Our middle order looks more stable now. Hoping Jemimah returns to form soon for the WC campaign!
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Vikram J.
Why are we always preparing flat tracks? Even in women's cricket, we need balanced pitches that offer something for bowlers too. Otherwise how will our bowlers develop skills for overseas conditions?
S
Shalini R.
Chamari Athapaththu was gracious in defeat. Always good to see sportsmanship between India and Sri Lanka teams. Wishing both teams the best for World Cup preparations! 🤝

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