India 122 for 2 (Rodrigues 69*, Mandhana 25, Ranaweera 1-17) beat Sri Lanka 121 for 6 (Gunaratne 39, Deepti 1-20, Gaud 1-23, Charani 1-30) by eight wickets
Despite dew being a constant presence on a cool evening, India’s spinners rallied to keep Sri Lanka’s top order in check, even if they did not pick up wickets in a heap. In the end, Sri Lanka were restricted to 121 for 6. It was a below-par total, given that the dew was only going to increase as the temperatures reduced – something Harmanpreet Kaur had alluded to while choosing to chase at the toss. India made easy work of it, to get home with eight wickets and 32 balls to spare, starting their road to the T20 World Cup 2026 in June on the right note.
This was India’s sixth win in ten games since being knocked out in the league stage of the 2024 iteration.
Gaud, better, best
Gaud then switched angles. She got in a 109.2kph length ball to nip back in past Athapaththu’s inside edge to bowl her, and pick up her maiden T20I wicket. That allowed India’s spinners to set about their work of stifling the batters. Each of Sri Lanka’s next two pairs faced 38 balls, but they couldn’t find the next gear. Vishmi Gunaratne, Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama used the variations of sweep to good effect – even if it resulted in Perera’s dismissal.
Dropped chances don’t cost India
Charani was in the spotlight again, when Reddy was denied a wicket. Samarawickrama was the beneficiary of a miscued skier being grassed after Charani – running in from deep backward square leg – misjudged it once again. Three balls later, Samrawickrama got another life when Rodrigues missed a chance at backward point, though it was a spectacular one-handed diving effort in the ring that enabled her to reach it in first place.
Despite all that, India gave away only 30 runs in the death overs (17 to 20) to restrict Sri Lanka to a low total.
Rodrigues fifty makes easy work of the chase
The first ball Shafali Verma faced in international cricket since that glowing night in Navi Mumbai was a free hit, after quick Malki Madara overstepped on the previous ball. Shafali pulled it away for four over square leg, and scored another boundary in the opening over of the chase courtesy an off-drive past mid-off. But Shafali’s stay was short after she found square leg with a flick off seamer Kavya Kavindi in the next over.
Rodrigues more than picked up the slack at the other end. The 16-run over from the ambidextrous Shashini Gimhani, who only bowled left-arm wristspin on the night, ended the powerplay to help India raise the tempo. Rodrigues used the depth of the crease well, assimilated fours using plenty of dabs and sweeps, and got to her fifty in 34 balls.
Even after Mandhana holed out to deep extra cover, Rodrigues continued her flow. Rodrigues added 54 off 42 balls with Mandhana, and then an unconquered 55 in 39 with Harmanpreet, to give Sri Lanka a lot to think about with a short turnaround before the second T20I at the same venue on Tuesday.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7
