3rd T20I: Renuka, Deepti, Shafali star as India Women clinch series with 8-wicket win over Sri Lanka

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 26 In-form opener Shafali Verma smashed an unbeaten 79 off 42 balls to power India to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third T20I of the five-match series and secure an unassailable 3-0 series lead at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

After Renuka Singh Thakur's 4-21 and Deepti Sharma's 3-18 restricted Sri Lanka to 112/7, Shafali tore apart the bowling attack with a splendid display of strokeplay -- smashing 11 fours and three sixes in a blistering knock that guided India home with 6.4 overs to spare.

Despite losing opening partner Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues to Kavisha Dilhari, Shafali dominated from the outset to ensure India got another convincing win. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed with a composed knock of 21 not out, as India got their fourth consecutive T20I series win over Sri Lanka.

Shafali started cautiously by playing three dot balls in the first over, but then unleashed a brutal assault on the Sri Lankan bowlers. Her show began by lofting and pulling Malsha Shehani for six and four, before bringing out the same shots against Nimesha Madushani for a brace of boundaries.

But India suffered a big blow when vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was trapped lbw by off-spinner Kavisha Dilhari for just one. Attempting a sweep, Mandhana missed the delivery as the ball spun away and struck her front pad, with ball-tracking confirming it would crash into the leg stump.

The left-hander reviewed immediately but had to depart for another low score in the series, leaving Sri Lanka buoyant. With Jemimah struggling to time the ball after surviving an lbw appeal on her first ball, Shafali Verma was magnificent in driving, pulling, and lofting, before getting her fifty in just 24 balls with a drive past mid-on off Malki Madara.

Kavisha returned to claim Jemimah’s wicket when she attempted a sweep off a full delivery tossed up outside off-stump, but the ball took an under-edge that rattled the three sticks. With Harmanpreet Kaur getting her boundaries via leg-side shots, Shafali muscled three ruthless boundaries before finishing off the chase with a lofted four to give India another dominant victory.

Previously, on return to the T20I side, Renuka and Deepti shared seven wickets between themselves as Sri Lanka's batting struggles continued after being asked to bat first for the third consecutive time in the series.

Sri Lanka started brightly, but their innings deteriorated rapidly, with only a 40-run partnership between Imesha Dulani (27) and Kavisha Dilhari (20) providing resistance. A late contribution from Kaushini Nuthyangana (19 not out) helped Sri Lanka reach a respectable total, though one well below par.

Sri Lanka began with Hasini Perera bringing out drives, sweeps and scoops to fetch four boundaries in the first four overs. Captain Chamari Athapaththu struggled under pressure before falling to Deepti, giving mid-off a simple catch.

Renuka recovered from an expensive opening over to become the pick of India's bowlers by dismissing Hasini, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Nilakshika Silva to leave Sri Lanka at 45/4 in 9.3 overs. From there, Imesha and Kavisha hit six boundaries between themselves in an enterprising partnership which Sri Lanka badly needed.

But Kavisha fell in the 14th over – holing out to deep mid-wicket off Deepti, who became the first-ever cricketer across the men’s and women’s game to do the double of 1000 runs and 150 wickets in T20Is. An over later, Renuka’s slower ball accounted for Imesha, who slashed to backward point.

With the dismissal of Malsha Shehani, Deepti became the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20I history, drawing level with Australia’s Megan Schutt on 151 wickets. It took two boundaries from Kaushini in the fag end of the innings to take Sri Lanka past the 110-run mark, which was always inadequate to stop India’s winning juggernaut.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 112/7 in 20 overs (Imesha Dulani 27, Hasini Perera 25; Renuka Singh Thakur 4-21, Deepti Sharma 3-18) lost to India 115/2 in 13.2 overs (Shafali Verma 79 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 21 not out; Kavisha Dilhari 2-18) by eight wickets

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