India beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final of the Asian Games women’s cricket competition at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Tuesday to win the gold medal.
It was India’s first gold of the Games in Aichi-Nagoya and their second successive Asian Games title in women’s cricket.
Mandhana sets up the total
India won the toss and batted. Smriti Mandhana made 79 off 45 balls with five fours and seven sixes, and Shafali Verma added 48 off 29. Richa Ghosh finished unbeaten on 49 off 22 as India reached 216 for three.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur batted at No. 3 and made 19 off 17 balls.
Sri Lanka bowled out for 69
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu top-scored with 29, but her side were all out for 69 in 15.4 overs. Deepti Sharma took three for 6, and Shafali, Shreyanka Patil and Shree Charani picked up two wickets each.
Shafali had helped India into the final with an unbeaten century against Bangladesh in the semi-final.
Prime Minister’s message
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team on Tuesday, calling the win “a splendid triumph for Indian cricket” and praising a “commanding performance”, according to a release from the Prime Minister’s Office.
