With a five-wicket win in the second T20I, India Women took an unassailable 2-0 series lead in the ongoing three-match series against Sri Lanka Women. Captain Mithali Raj took the home team to the target with an unbeaten half-century after Poonam Yadav and Ekta Bisht restricted the visitors to 107 with three wickets each.
After SL opted to bat in the series decider, Shikha Pandey claimed opener Yasoda Mendis to give India their first breakthrough. After 24 runs, Yadav disrupted Chamari Athapaththu to leave the visiting side tottering at 37 for two in the 10th over. Shashikala Sriwardena then joined Dilani Manodara in taking the innings forward, but with the team on 84, the former was sent back by Sneh Rana which triggered a mini-collapse. In the following over, Yadav claimed two off two balls while Bisht claimed three in the penultimate over to reduce SL to 101 for eight. Prasadani Weerakkodi and Sugandika Kumari then added six runs off the last over to set India a 108-run target.
Chasing the sub-par score, the hosts too, lost four wickets in a hurry as Mithali held one end up. Inoka Ranaweera claimed three wickets while Siriwardena picked one to leave India wobbling at 27 for four. However, the skipper found an able ally in Anuja Patil to revive the innings. The pair forged a 77-run partnership for the fifth wicket to take the team to 104 for four until the middle-order bat was caught by Eshani Lokusuriyage off her own bowling.
Remaining unbeaten on 51, Mithali then took the team across the finish line with Rana.
Brief scores: SL Women 107/8 in 20 overs (D Manodara 27, P Yadav 3/17, E Bisht 3/22) lost to India Women 108/5 in 19 overs (M Raj 51*, A Patil 34, I Ranaweera 3/10) by 5 wickets
