Women's T20 WC: India defeat SL in final group game, maintain undefeated streak

Melbourne [Australia], Feb 29 (ANI): India displayed an all-round performance to defeat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in its final group game of the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup here at the Junction Oval on Saturday.
With this win, India maintained its undefeated streak heading into the semi-finals.
Chasing 114, India got off to a solid start as openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on 34 runs for the first wicket. However, Sri Lanka finally got the breakthrough in the fifth over as Udeshika Prabodhani dismissed Mandhana (17).
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur then joined Shafali in the middle and the duo did not let the momentum slide for India. Both batters took a special liking to Sri Lankan spinners and kept dispatching them for boundaries.
In the tenth over, in trying to hit a six, Harmanpreet (15) gave her wicket to Shashikala Siriwardene and India was reduced to 81/2. In the next over, Shafali (47) was also sent back to the pavilion via a run-out, with India still 26 runs away from the target.
In the end, Jemimah Rodrigues (15*) and Deepti Sharma (15*) took India over the line by seven wickets and 32 balls to spare.
Earlier, Radha Yadav's four-wicket haul helped India restrict Sri Lanka to 113/9 in the allotted twenty overs.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka was not able to create any sort of momentum at the top as the side was reduced to 48/3 in the ninth over. Umesha Thimashini (2), Harshitha Madavi (12) and Chamari Athapaththu (33) did not manage to stay at the crease for a long time.
India capitalised on a strong start with the ball and Radha Yadav came into her own to reduce Sri Lanka to 80/7 in the 16th over.
Sri Lanka did not manage to score boundaries in the final overs and as a result, was restricted to under 120-run mark.
Brief Scores: India 116/3 (Shafali Verma 47, Smriti Mandhana 17, Udeshika Prabodhani 1-13) defeat Sri Lanka 113/9 (Chamari Athapaththu 33, Kavisha Dilhari 25, Radha Yadav 4-23) by seven wickets. (ANI)