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1st T20I: India Women amass 166 vs Sri Lanka Women

Bhatia got 46 and Anuja 34, but it was Rodrigues who provided the initial blast. Atapattu finished with 2/34 and held 2 catches.

Jemimah Rodrigues Mithali Raj India Sri Lanka Women T20I Chamari Atapattu
Jemimah Rodrigues (file photo) made a whirlwind 15-ball 36 © AFP

After clinching the ODIs 2-1, India Women put up 166 for 8 in the first T20I  against Sri Lanka Women, at Free Trade Zone, Katunayake. Jemimah Rodrigues began the onslaught with a whirlwind 15-ball 36 (three fours, three sixes) in the Powerplay overs. Then Taniya Bhatia (46 in 35 balls) and Anuja Patil (34 in 29) took charge, adding a cautious 67 for the fifth wicket in 58 balls before Veda Krishnamurthy blasted a 15-ball unbeaten 21.

India Women were off to an unusual start. Udeshika Prabodhani struck with the second ball of the match, dismissing Smriti Mandhana. Then Rodrigues walked out and smashed the bowlers all around, including three sixes and a four off consecutive balls in the fourth over, bowled by Nilakshi de Silva. The over went for 27.

Sripali Weerakkody dismissed Mithali Raj in the next over, but Bhatia walked out and smashed three fours in the first four balls she faced. Then Chamari Atapattu, in supreme form with both bat and ball, dismissed both Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (she had earlier caught Mandhana) in the space of three balls. India reached 75 for 4 after the Powerplay overs.

After an excellent spell of 2-0-8-2, Atapattu returned in the 18th over — after taking a stunner to dismiss Patil. She went for another 15, while Prabodhani had 4-0-18-2. Arundhati Reddy failed on debut, her 9-ball 2 coming to an end after she fell to Prabodhani.

Brief scores:

India Women 166 for 8 in 20 overs (Taniya Bhatia 46; Udeshika Prabodhani 2 for 18) vs Sri Lanka Women.

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