Indian eves draw first blood: Requiring to score at 6.55 runs an over to get to the target of 131 runs in 20 overs set by the Indian women, Sri Lankan eves managed to score only at the rate of 4.80 runs an over and ended up scoring 96 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs.
Backed by a wonderful display of bowling effort by the off-spinner, Anuja Patil, who opened the bowling attack and ably supported by the off-spinner, Deepti Sharma, the Indians put a check on their Lankan counterparts and never gave them any leeway.
The Indian bowlers kept up the pressure from the very first delivery and picked up wickets at regular intervals.
Except for two significant partnerships, first the fourth-wicket partnership of 38 runs in 8.4 overs between the wicket-keeper Dilani Manodara and the skipper Shashikala Siriwardane (18) and then the sixth-wicket partnership of 20 runs in 3.3 overs between Manodara and the debutant Hansima Karunaratne (12), the scoreboard would have looked even more pathetic.
Waging a lone battle, Manodara contributed 41 runs off 44 deliveries with three hits to the fence.
Patil finished with an analysis of 4-0-14-3 while Sharma finished with the numbers reading 4-0-23-2. Ekta Bihst and Poonam Yadav picked up a wicket each.
Earlier, Mithali Raj won the toss and elected to bat. However, opening the innings alongwith Vellaswamy Vanitha (12), she lasted only for eight deliveries, scoring 3 runs.
The third-wicket partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur produced 61 runs in 8.5 overs that took the Indian total to 76/3 when Mandhana, after scoring 35 runs off just 27 deliveries with 4 fours, fell to the left-arm spinner, Sugandika Kumari.
A rearguard action by Patil (22*) and Bihst (3), for the sixth-wicket produced 24 runs in just 2.1 overs that enabled India to end their innings with 130 runs on the board for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs.
Kumari claimed 3 wickets in her spell of 4 overs, giving away 28 runs while Eshani Lokusuriyage finished with the analysis of 3-0-19-2.
India won the game by 34 runs and went 1-0 in the 3-match series.
The two teams lock horns for the second encounter on 24th February, 2016.
