India, the defending champion, will be looking to solidify its dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup by securing a record-extending eighth title. Standing in their way is a feisty Sri Lankan team, who will be aiming to pull off an upset in the final match held in Dambulla on Sunday.
India has dominated the tournament, showcasing its strength with resounding victories. They crushed Pakistan by seven wickets, followed by comfortable wins against UAE (78 runs), Nepal (82 runs), and Bangladesh (10 wickets). This dominance stems from the cohesive performance of both the batting and bowling units.
The Indian top order, led by Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, has consistently delivered, accumulating over 100 runs each at an impressive strike-rate exceeding 140. These strong performances have provided India with a solid foundation and quick starts in their innings. However, the team management may be particularly pleased with the bowling unit, especially the contributions of Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh. Deepti, with nine wickets, leads the wicket-taking charts, while Renuka sits third with seven wickets.
Their economy rate across four matches has been phenomenal, with Deepti maintaining a rate of 4.37 and Renuka at 4.31. This impressive performance has kept opposition batters on edge, limiting their scoring opportunities. This, in turn, has also aided other bowlers as batters attempt to break free from the pressure, often leading to opportunities for the left-arm spinner Radha Yadav. Radha, benefitting from the success of her senior colleagues, has taken six wickets at an economical rate of 5.5.
While there is no apparent cause for concern within the Indian camp, they may have slight reservations about the limited batting opportunities for skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues. Harmanpreet has batted only twice in three matches, despite scoring a remarkable 66 in one of those appearances. Rodrigues, on the other hand, is yet to find her rhythm in the three innings she has faced. The team’s think tank will be hoping that these experienced campaigners regain their form should the need arise. Wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh, expressing confidence in their abilities, stated, “They might not have got that much time in the middle, but everyone is working hard at nets, and I am sure they will fire when the time comes.”
Sri Lanka, undefeated in the tournament, also has a significant victory to their name – a 144-run triumph over Malaysia in the group stage. Their success has been heavily reliant on the exceptional form of skipper Chamari Athapaththu, who tops the run-scoring chart with 243 runs. However, their reliance on Athapaththu’s performance is evident, as no other Sri Lankan batter has surpassed 100 runs, with Rushmi Gunarathne a distant second with 91 runs.
A similar story unfolds in their bowling department. Excluding off-spinner Kavisha Dilhari, who has claimed seven wickets with an impressive economy of 5.35, other Sri Lankan bowlers haven’t made a substantial impact.
To have any chance of stretching the game against a settled Indian side, the Islanders need significant improvements across all aspects of their game. The final promises an exciting clash, with India aiming to continue their winning streak and Sri Lanka looking to create an upset.
