That concludes the proceedings here in Dambulla. Harmanpreet Kaur collects the trophy with a big smile and India Women pose for a team photograph. The caravan will now move to Pallekele for the ODI series. The first game is scheduled to be played on Friday, 1st July 2022. It will start at 10 am IST (4.30 am GMT) but our build-up will begin a lot earlier. Do join us for all the action. Till then, goodbye and cheers!
Player of the Series award is bagged by Harmanpreet Kaur. She is also handed over the trophy for winning the series 2-1.
Chamari Atapattu, the victorious captain of Sri Lanka Women, is also the Player of the Match. Says that this win is very good for them, as it's a young side and this win will give them confidence. Adds that she tried to control the game with her batting. Mentions that India are a very good side, there is a lot of experience in their camp but feels that the home team lost the last two games because of not doing well at crucial points. She thanks the crowd for supporting her and Sri Lanka Women.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India Women, says that Sri Lanka deserve this win after the way they batted. Adds that partnerships were there for them but they were looking for a better strike rate. Admits that they need to work on their strike rate with the bat. Mentions that the spectators supported both the teams and they really enjoyed.
Time for the presentation...
India Women were once again not at their best with the bat but managed to get a decent total on the board with Harmanpreet Kaur batting till the end. The Sri Lankan bowlers have bowled well throughout this series and it was the same case yet again but the problem for them has been their batting, which they rectified in this game and notched up a victory to close the series on a high. The Indian bowlers would have fancied defending this total but they gave away too many boundary balls and that never brought any pressure on the Lankan batters. Their fielding too was quite sloppy and in the end, that cost them this game. A series win here for India but they have a lot to ponder about and need to be better with their execution if they want to compete with the best.
Chasing a decent target, Sri Lanka were positive with their intent right from the onset as young Vishmi Gunaratne started off with a boundary and Harshitha Madavi too played some positive shots before both of them perished. However, Nilakshi de Silva joined her skipper, Chamari Atapattu and both of them stitched together a brilliant partnership, scoring boundaries at a brisk rate. We all know, that when Chamari Atapattu gets going it is very difficult to stop her and though Nilakshi de Silva departed in the end, with Chamari Atapattu at the crease, Sri Lanka cruised to a comprehensive victory. The Sri Lankan skipper stayed unbeaten on 80, off 48 balls, and India Women had no answers to the onslaught by the stylish left-hander.
Chamari Atapattu has powered her team to a spirited run-chase here in Dambulla and with that, Sri Lanka Women have registered a rare T20I victory against India Women. The visitors have won the series but were quite sloppy this afternoon and Sri Lanka made them pay for it. Just what Sri Lanka Women needed ahead of an important ODI series and this win sets things up nicely for the remainder of the tour.
In over# 17
4
1
1
4
1
2
Radha Yadav 41/1(4)
16.6
4
FOUR! SRI LANKA WOMEN WIN BY 7 WICKETS, with 18 balls to spare! Radha Yadav serves it a bit short and around leg, Chamari Atapattu gets back and nudges it past short fine leg. The fielder gives a lazy chase as the ball races away to the fence. Kavisha Dilhari screams in joy, for the first time Sri Lanka Women have defeated India Women in a T20I game at home!
16.5
1
Fuller and around off, Kavisha Dilhari eases it to wide mid on and rushes across to the other end. A direct hit at the bowler's end would have consumed Kavisha Dilhari.
16.4
1
Put down! Short and wide outside off, Chamari Atapattu cuts it aerially to point where Sabbhineni Meghana fails to catch it over her head. They cross.
16.3
4
FOUR! Misfield in the deep! Flatter delivery, full and around leg, Chamari Atapattu kneels down and powers her sweep shot to deep square leg. The fielder in the deep, Smriti Mandhana, gets across to her left to stop the ball but it bursts through her hands and goes behind to meet the fence.
16.2
1
Quicker through the air, a touch short and around off, Kavisha Dilhari gets back and nudges it wide of short fine leg for one.
16.1
2
Short in length and outside off, Kavisha Dilhari goes on the back foot and slaps it to deep point for a couple of runs. 9 needed more.
In over# 16
0
4
1
1
1
0
Renuka Singh 27/1(4)
15.6
.
Fuller and outside off, Chamari Atapattu hits it firmly to backward point and Smriti Mandhana does well to make the stop, on one bounce.
15.5
4
FOUR! That's in the gap, don't bother chasing. Fuller in length, around middle, Chamari Atapattu leans across and whips it behind square leg for a boundary.
15.4
1
Fullish around leg, Kavisha Dilhari knocks it down to long on for a single.