India defeat Sri Lanka in 4th T20I

An all-round India rode on Smriti Mandhana (80) and Shafali Verma’s (79) record partnership followed by spinner Vaishnavi Sharma’s impressive 2/24 to beat Sri Lanka by 30 runs in the fourth women’s T20I and take a 4-0 lead in the five-match series here on Sunday. After Mandhana and Shafali set the platform for India’s highest women’s T20I total of 221/2 with the highest partnership of 162 for any wicket, Vaishnavi bowled an impressive 4-0-24-2 to help the home side record a commanding win.

Chasing a mammoth 222, Sri Lanka came out firing with Hasini Perera (33 off 20 balls, 7 fours) and skipper Chamari Athapaththu (52 off 37 balls, 3 fours and 3 sixes) providing the early fireworks. But the target proved too much for the island team to manage, as they lost wickets in a flurry towards the end to finish at 191 for six in their 20 overs.  The left-handed Perera set the tone with a flurry of fours at the start while Athapaththu once again displayed her rich array of strokes, but the asking run-rate on a flat pitch kept rising steeply for the Sri Lankan side.

In a high-scoring game where any error in line or length was punished severely by the batters from both the teams, the young Vaishnavi bowled a total of nine dot balls to exert pressure from one end while accounting for the dangerous Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama (20). Arundhati Reddy (2/42) chipped in with a couple of vital strikes, dismissing Perera in the sixth over after a 59-run opening stand and later, got the rid of Kavisha Dilhari (13).

The fifth and final T20I will be played here on December 30. Earlier, Mandhana and Shafali went on a record-making spree, powering India to their highest Women’s T20I total of 221 for two. Having batted second in each of the three games so far in this five-match rubber, Mandhana and Shafali put on a batting masterclass to hammer Sri Lanka bowlers all around the Greenfield International Stadium after being asked to bat first. Towards the end, Richa Ghosh smacked a 16-ball 40 not out and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur made 9-ball 16 not out, as India rattled up a massive total.

Indian openers Mandhana and Shafali shared a massive 162-run stand in 15.2 overs, which is now the best partnership for any wicket for the country in women’s T20Is. It was also the fourth occasion when Mandhana and Shafali stitched an alliance of 100 or more, as the pair bettered its own record of 143 against the West Indies at Gros Islet in 2019. Mandhana also entered history books, becoming only the fourth batter after compatriot Mithali Raj, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and England’s Charlotte Edwards to complete 10,000 international runs across formats.

On her part, Shafali continued with her red-hot form to make a third consecutive half-century in this series but missed a maiden ton in the format, which was for the taking. She gave a return catch to Nimasha Meepage in the 16th over after making 79 off 46 balls with 12 fours and a six. Without going on an overdrive, both Mandhana and Shafali pierced gaps with precision and brought out spectacular hits on both sides of the wicket.

In particular, Shafali’s hit over the bowler Kawya Kavindi’s head on the final ball of the fourth over stood out as she took a few paces down the wicket to hammer it with full flow of the bat. Earlier in the over, Mandhana had collected two fours off the bowler. Having had a quiet series so far given her lofty standards, Mandhana was in her elements as her drives were crisp and so were the hits on the on-side, where each of her three sixes were hit.

While both Mandhana and Shafali fell in quick succession, the hard-hitting Richa pummelled four fours and three sixes for her 40 not out while adding 53 runs for the unbroken third wicket with Harmanpreet as India zoomed past the 200-run mark. India’s Vaishnavi Sharma (left) celebrating a wicket during the fourth T20 International cricket match of a series between India Women and Sri Lanka Women at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.