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Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh produced brilliant knocks as India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games on Tuesday to win the gold medal.
Mandhana set the tone with a superb 79 off 45 balls, while Richa finished the innings with an unbeaten 49 off just 22 balls. Their efforts helped India post 216 for three, the highest total in Asian Games women’s cricket history.
Mandhana, Shafali Give India Flying Start
After winning the toss, India made the most of the powerplay. Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on 99 runs from 60 balls, giving the defending champions complete control from the start.
Shafali played an aggressive knock of 48 from 29 balls, while Mandhana looked in complete command at the other end.
The Indian opener took particular aim at the Sri Lankan spinners. She hit Sugandika Kumari for two sixes in the third over before sending another ball over extra cover against Mithali Ayodhya.
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu then brought herself into the attack, but the move did not work. She conceded 19 runs in the fifth over, with Shafali hitting two sixes and Mandhana adding another.
Mandhana eventually finished with seven sixes in her innings.
Shafali missed out on a half-century when she attempted a reverse sweep against Chamudi Praboda and was caught.
Harmanpreet Kaur Falls After Another Short Stay
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came in at No. 3 as India looked to build on the strong start. However, her difficult run with the bat continued. She made 19 off 17 balls before being caught at long-on in the 15th over. Mandhana was closing in on a century but could not complete it. She was caught in the deep while attempting another slog sweep against Kumari.
Richa Ghosh Provides Late Fireworks
With India needing a strong finish, Richa took charge in the death overs. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed an unbeaten 49 from only 22 balls to take India beyond the 200-run mark. Her late assault ensured India finished with 216 for three. It was also the highest total recorded in women’s cricket at the Asian Games.
Sri Lanka Collapse In Gold Medal Match
Sri Lanka needed an exceptional batting performance to chase down the target but lost wickets regularly. Imesha Dulani was dismissed for three in the third over before Hasini Perera fell for a duck in the fifth.
Captain Athapaththu offered some resistance with 29 off 21 balls, hitting five fours, but she could not stay long enough to change the course of the chase. Kavisha Dilhari scored 11 before being dismissed by Deepti Sharma, while Harshitha Samarawickrama was out for a duck. Hansima Karunaratne, Kaushani Nuthyangana and Kawya Kavindi also failed to build a partnership as Sri Lanka’s innings fell apart.
Deepti Sharma Leads India’s Bowling Attack
Deepti Sharma was India’s standout bowler, finishing with three wickets. Shreyanka Patil and Shree Charani picked up two wickets each, while Shafali also contributed with two wickets. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 69 in 19.5 overs, handing India a massive 147-run victory.
The win gave the defending champions the women’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games, with Mandhana, Shafali and Richa playing key roles in India’s dominant performance.