Tri-Nation ODI Series 2025, SL-W vs IND-W, Match 1 Review: Indian spinners set up comfortable victory in rain-curtailed game

The ODI tri-series between Sri Lanka Women (SL-W), India Women (IND-W), and South Africa Women (SA-W) got underway with a clash between SL-W and IND-W on Sunday, April 27 at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The start of play was delayed by two hours due to rain and the game was reduced to 39-overs per side.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and decided to bowl first with a view to utilise the damp conditions. Both the teams brought in two debutants each. For the home team, seamer Malki Madara and batter Piumi Badalge were handed their maiden caps in the format while pacer Kashvee Gautam and spinner Shree Charani received theirs for India.

Indian seamers, Arundhati Reddy and Gautam started off well, bowling miserly overs in the powerplay. SL-W captain Chamari Athapaththu (7 off 18) tried to up the ante but perished in the eighth over with the score reading 23/1. A 31-run partnership ensued between Hasini Perera (30 off 46) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (14 off 24) before the former was trapped leg before by Sneh Rana.

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The Lankan Lionesses kept losing wickets at regular intervals as the Indian spinners started tightening the grip on the game. Kavisha Dilhari (25 off 26) and wicketkeepr-batter Anushka Sanjeewani (22 off 39) played good hands to take SL-W to a respectable total as the team ended up scoring 147 from 38.1 overs. For India, seven of the 10 wickets to fall belonged to the spinners. Rana (3/31) was the pick of the bowlers with Reddy (1/26), Deepti Sharma (2/22), and Charani (2/26) comprising the other wicket-takers.

In response, India started the chase off with vigour. Openers Smriti Mandhana (43 off 46) and Pratika Rawal formed a 54-run partnership in 59 balls before the former was caught and bowled by Inoka Ranaweera. Mandhana was more of an aggressor among the two as her innings comprised six fours. Harleen Deol joined Rawal and the duo steadily went about their business with minimal risk-taking.

SL-W bowlers proved to be ineffective against them as they failed to pick up a single wicket afterwards. Rawal scored an unbeaten 50 off 62 balls while Harleen finished at 48* off 71 balls. India won the game very comfortably with nine wickets in hand and 9.2 overs remaining.

For the home side, Ranaweera was the sole wicket-taker Except for debutant Badalge, all other bowlers registered economy rates of over four runs per over.

Match 2 of the tri-series will be a clash between IND-W and SA-W on Tuesday, April 29.