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Key Points

India's women's cricket team suffered a surprising defeat against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ODI tri-series. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur candidly acknowledged the team's bowling limitations after failing to defend a competitive 275-run total. The match highlighted significant challenges in India's bowling department, with Richa Ghosh's batting effort ultimately falling short. Despite the loss, the team remains focused on improving their performance in the tournament.

Key Points: Harmanpreet Kaur Admits Bowling Woes After Sri Lanka Loss

  • India loses to Sri Lanka by three wickets in crucial ODI match
  • Richa Ghosh's 58 not enough to secure victory
  • Kashvee Gautam's injury impacts team's bowling strategy
  • Sneh Rana emerges as lone bowling bright spot
2 min read

Women's ODI tri-series: Bowling is something we need to work on, says Harmanpreet

India's women's cricket team struggles with bowling in ODI tri-series, skipper highlights performance challenges after defeat to Sri Lanka

"Bowling is something we need to work on - Harmanpreet Kaur"

Colombo, May 4

After India suffered their first loss in the women's ODI tri-series through a three-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said the bowling department is an area where a lot of work has to be put in.

India had previously defended 276 against South Africa in the ongoing tri-series, but at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, they couldn't defend 275/9 against Sri Lanka. What also didn't help India's cause was seam-bowling all-rounder Kashvee Gautam limping off the field after bowling just five overs, which meant opener Pratika Rawal was used as the sixth bowler.

In this series, only Sneh Rana has been a standout bowler for India, and on Sunday, she picked 3-45. Apart from their erratic fielding, India not getting a finishing kick after Richa Ghosh's 58 also hurt them. "Sri Lanka batted really well, they didn't give us many opportunities. Even when they gave us opportunities, we didn't really hold on to them. We were a bowler short as well since Kashvee Gautam wasn't there.

"The way Richa was batting, we thought we'll cross 280 easily but after she fell, we couldn't execute like we expected to. Her wicket was the turning point. We weren't able to get breakthroughs in the first 10 overs. Batting we're still doing good but bowling is something we need to work on," said Harmanpreet after the match ended.

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, who was amongst the standout bowlers for the hosts' by picking a three-fer alongside Sugandika Kumari, said her bowling mindset was to pitch the ball on stumps, apart from being pleased over Harshitha Samawickrama and Nilakshi de Silva leading the side to victory via their respective half-centuries.

"We played positive cricket in the last game and today as well. Really happy as a captain, the youngsters lead from the front and play their best cricket. We are ready for anything, can't predict the toss. If we bat first, we will try to score 250 runs, that's our target.

"Haven't been in the best form for the past two games, that's why stepped down the order (to number four in batting) and played a different role. As a senior player, have to lead from the front, that's important. I've played for 15 years and haven't bowled much. These days I'm bowling more. Try to keep it simple and on the stumps, that's my mantra," she said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article:
R
Rahul K.
Tough loss but we'll bounce back! 💪 Our batting looks solid but bowling needs more consistency. Proud of Richa Ghosh's performance though - she's becoming a reliable finisher. Hope Kashvee recovers soon, we need all players fit for upcoming tournaments.
P
Priya M.
Fielding has been our weak point for too long now. Dropped catches cost us this match. While bowling needs work, we should also focus on fielding drills. Kudos to Sri Lanka though - they played with great spirit and strategy.
A
Arjun S.
Why aren't we developing more quality pacers? Most teams have 2-3 good fast bowlers while we rely heavily on spinners. Need to scout talent from domestic circuits better. The women's game is evolving fast and we can't lag behind in any department.
N
Neha T.
Harmanpreet is right about bowling needing work, but captaincy could be better too. Using an opener as 6th bowler shows lack of planning. We need proper all-rounders in the squad. Still, one loss doesn't define the team - they'll come back stronger!
V
Vikram J.
Good to see healthy competition from Sri Lanka! Their women's team has improved tremendously. Our girls should take this as a learning experience. The tri-series format is great preparation before bigger tournaments. More such matches please!
S
Shreya P.
Sneh Rana is carrying our bowling attack single-handedly. Time to give chances to new bowlers from domestic cricket. Also, where was Deepti Sharma in this match? She's our most experienced all-rounder and could have made a difference in both departments.

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