Twitter Reactions: Renuka Singh leads India's assault as Sri Lanka's batting order comes crashing down

India started off the much-anticipated Women’s Asia Cup 2022 finals on a high note as a brilliant bowling and fielding display by the Women in Blue crushed the Sri Lankan batting order, which helped India get an early advantage. The game started with Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Chasing surely becomes difficult in the second innings if the opposition put up a big target. Though the toss did not go India’s way, the Women in Blue did not fail to surprise. Athapaththu and Anushka Sanjeewani started Sri Lanka’s innings with the bat but struggled to get going in the game. The skipper survived a wicket scare but had no idea what she had coming next.

In the third over, a mix-up between Athapaththu and Sanjeewani led to the former walking off the field. Athapaththu tucked the delivery wide of point and looked for a single, but Renuka Thakur grabbed the ball quickly and threw it towards the wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, who perfectly dismantled the bails before Athapaththu could get back.

In the very next over, Sri Lanka’s batting unit crushed like a cookie as three batters walked back to the pavilion. Renuka Thakur dismissed Harshitha Madavi on the third delivery as Richa Ghosh caught the ball behind the stumps brilliantly. Another terrible mixup between Sanjeewani and Nilakshi de Silva led to the former being run out on the very next delivery.

Thakur struck again in the same over on the very next ball as she picked up Hasini Perera for a golden duck. Within a couple of minutes, Sri Lanka was reduced to 10/4 in just four overs. Renuka Thakur was unstoppable, as she returned in the final over of the powerplay, and sent Kaveesha Dilhari walking back to the pavilion, and Sri Lanka ended their powerplay scoring mere 16 runs and losing five wickets.

Spinners dominated the second half

The spinners worked the magic thereon. Just as the powerplay ended, Rajeshwari Gayakwad entered the attack and kept India’s momentum going by picking up her first wicket and dismissing Sri Lanka’s seventh batter in the form of Nilakshi de Silva. Sneh Rana added to India’s celebrations when she caught and bowled Malsha Shehani before Gayakwad scalped her second wicket as she cleaned up Oshadi Ranasinghe.

Wickets kept falling and Indian bowlers kept adding to Sri Lanka's misery. The lower-order batters managed to sail throughout the innings and played the entire 20-overs quota. The Women in Blue remained on the driver's seat from the very beginning and as a result, Sri Lanka finished the innings scoring 65/9.