By Admin 
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s fighting half-century was followed by a fine performance by the bowlers as India defeated Sri Lanka by 15 runs in the fifth and final Women’s T20 International cricket match here on Tuesday and made a 5-0 clean sweep in the five-match series.
India has whitewashed a team 5-0 for the first time at home and third overall in a bilateral series. For the first time, Sri Lanka has faced defeat by this margin.
Chasing India’s target of 176 runs, Sri Lanka could score only 160 runs for seven wickets despite half-centuries from Hasini Perera (65 runs, 42 balls, eight fours, one six) and Imisha Dulani (50 runs, 39 balls, eight fours) and a 79-run partnership for the second wicket between them.
For India, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Sneh Rana, Vaishnavi Sharma, Shri Charani and Amanjot Kaur took one wicket each.
Apart from scoring 68 runs in 43 balls with nine fours and one six, Harmanpreet along with Amanjot (21) added 61 runs for the sixth wicket, taking India to a challenging score of 175 runs for seven wickets. Arundhati finally scored unbeaten 27 runs in 11 balls with four fours and one six.
For Sri Lanka, Kavisha Dilhari (two wickets for 11 runs), captain Chamri Atapattu (two wickets for 21 runs) and Rashmika Sewandi (two wickets for 42 runs) took two wickets each.
Sri Lanka, chasing the target, lost the wicket of captain Chamri (02) in the second over itself, who was caught by Deepti Sharma on the ball of Arundhati. Hasini and Imesha took the team’s score to 48 runs for one wicket in the power play.
Apart from two consecutive fours on Deepti, Imesha also hit the ball of Arundhati and Sneh to the boundary. Imesha and Hasini preferred to rotate the strike after the power play. However, both of them did not hesitate in teaching a lesson to the bad balls.
Imisha hit two consecutive fours and then a run on Vaishnavi to complete her first T20 half-century in just 38 balls.
After this, Harmanpreet handed the ball to Amanjot, who gave a big success to India by getting Imesha caught by Shefali on the very first ball. Sri Lanka’s century was completed in the 14th over but in the same over, Deepti trapped Nilakshika Silva (03) LBW.
Vaishnavi gave the fourth blow to Sri Lanka by bowling Kavisha Dilhari (05) in the next over. Sri Lanka needed 64 runs to win in the last five overs.
Hasini completed her first half-century in her 89th match with a single run off Amanjot. Hasini hit a four and a six on consecutive balls of Shri Charani but was bowled on the next ball.
Sri Lanka lost the wickets of wicket-keeper batsman Kaushini Nuthyagna (01) and Harshita Samaravikram on consecutive balls, which dashed its hopes of victory. The team needed 34 runs in the last two overs, which proved to be a mountain-like target for them.
Earlier, Chamri won the toss and decided to bowl first, after which India lost the wicket of in-form Shefali Verma (05) in the second over itself, whose long on was brilliantly caught by Imisha Dulani.
Debut opening batsman G Kamalini (12) and Harleen Deol hit fours off Malki Madara and Nimasha Meepage. Kavisha gave second blow to India by LBW Kamalini.
India scored 40 runs for two wickets in the power play. Rashmika bowled Harleen (13) and made India’s score 41 runs for three wickets.
Harmanpreet completed her half-century of team runs in the eighth over with three fours off Inoka Ranveera, but after scoring only five runs, Richa Ghosh was caught by wicketkeeper Kaushini Nuthyagna on Chamri’s ball.
Chamri gave the fifth blow to India by getting Deepti Sharma (07) caught by Nimasha.
Amanjot Kaur (21) ended the 31-ball boundary drought with a four off Nimasha in the 14th over, while Harmanpreet also sent the ball to the boundary.
In the next over, Harmanpreet completed her half-century in 35 balls with two consecutive fours and one run on Chamri and took the team’s score beyond 100 runs.
Harmanpreet also hit sixes and fours on Inoka’s consecutive balls. Amanjot hit a six on Rashmika but was caught by Kavisha on the next ball.
Kavisha gave a big blow to India by bowling Harmanpreet in the next over. Arundhati took the team’s score beyond 170 runs with three fours and a six on consecutive balls of Madara in the last over.
joy