India won the women’s final of the Asian Games of Cricket on Monday after defeating Sri Lanka by a score of 19 runs.
India’s women strike cricket gold: They had decline to enter any teams when cricket was play at the multi-sport event in Guangzhou in 2010 and Incheon in 2014.
At the Zhejiang University for Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field, they reached 116-7 while batting first after winning the toss and putting on 73 for the second wicket with Smriti Mandhana (46) and Jemimah Rodrigues (42).
Titas Sadhu, a right-arm seamer, dealt the most damage to Sri Lanka’s chase, taking two wickets in her first four balls to reduce them to 14-3 in the fifth over.
Her final stats were astounding: three wickets for six runs from four overs.
Despite Hasini Perera’s attempts to quicken the pace by hitting four fours and a six in a quick 25, Sri Lanka was continuously trailing the run rate.
After a valiant 23 when Nilakshi de Silva became the fifth wicket to go, Sri Lanka was 78-3 and still needed 39 runs with 23 balls left.
India rejoiced as they concluded on 97-8 after their 20 overs after two more wickets made them need a nearly impossible 25 off the last stanza.
In the bronze-medal game, Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by a margin of five wickets.