India beats Sri Lanka by 59 runs in Women’s Cricket World Cup opener

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GUWAHATI, India (AP) — Deepti Sharma's all-round display helped India beat Sri Lanka by 59 runs (DLS) in the opening game of the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Tuesday.

Sharma scored 53 off 53 balls and then took 3-54 in 10 overs to help her team overcome a batting collapse. Amanjot Kaur scored 57 off 56 balls and took 1-37 in six overs.

Sharma and Kaur put on 103 off 99 balls for the seventh wicket and rescued India from a precarious 124-6 in 27 overs. India finished with 269-8 from 47 overs after two rain stoppages had cut down the game by three overs in each innings.

In reply, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 211 runs in 45.4 overs. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu top-scored with 43 off 47 balls, but her side lost quick wickets in the middle overs.

Sneh Rana (2-32) and Shree Charani (2-37) also picked up braces, as the Indian spinners finished with seven of the 10 wickets.

India next plays archrival Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday — the latter will play all its games on neutral ground. Sri Lanka plays Australia next — also in Colombo — earlier on Saturday.

On Wednesday, defending champion Australia will open its campaign against New Zealand.

Opener Smriti Mandhana fell for eight runs before India’s rebuild was interrupted twice by rain. The game was first reduced to 48 overs per side before another rain interruption further reduced it to 47 overs.

Pratika Rawal (37) and Harleen Deol (48) put on 67 off 96 balls on either side of the first rain break. But their partnership came about slowly and put India’s scoring under duress as Rawal was out in the 20th over.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur tried to up the ante — she scored 21 off 19 balls — but it only resulted in a mini-collapse.

India went from 120-2 to 124-6 in the space of 12 deliveries as 39-year-old Lankan left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera stumped the batters.

Deol was first out caught and Jemimah Rodrigues fell for a golden duck — out bowled. Kaur was the next to go three balls later and then Richa Ghosh fell to Athapaththu for two runs in a disastrous turn for India.

It brought Sharma and Kaur together, and the duo took time to get going, cutting out all the big shots. Their 100-stand came off 94 balls.

Kaur got to 50 first — off 45 balls — and then Sharma reached her half-century run-a-ball. They batted together for 16.3 overs and turned the game around for India.

Sneh Rana’s cameo at the end — 28 not out off 15 balls with two sixes — helped push India past 250.

In reply, Sri Lanka lost opener Hasini Perera for 14. But it got a 52-run partnership between Athapaththu and Hashitha Madavi (29) for the second wicket.

The match hung in balance when Sharma bowled the Lankan skipper in the 15th over. It was the turning point and Indian turned over the screws thereafter.

Skipper Harmanpreet deployed her spin attack and together they picked seven wickets for 133 runs in 28 overs.

Sharma picked up another two wickets, while Sneh Rana bowled the dangerous Nilakshi de Silva for 35.

It was the second time Sharma scored a half-century and picked three wickets for India in ODIs and she was named player of the match.

“My partnership (with Kaur) was the turning point after we had lost back-to-back wickets. We wanted to take the game deep and I am used to such situations. So there was no pressure. First match (of the tournament) sets the tone and we want to keep winning,” she said.

Guwahati’s first women’s ODI witnessed a 22,000-plus crowd turn up despite rain interruptions. It is the highest attendance ever for an opening day of the Women’s Cricket World Cup.

Eight teams will contest 31 matches for a chance to lift the trophy on Nov. 2 after the final in either Colombo or Navi Mumbai.

Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam and Navi Mumbai are hosting India’s leg of the tournament. Colombo in Sri Lanka is the other venue, and where Pakistan will play its matches.

India is gunning for its first Women's World Cup crown from its fourth tournament on home turf after 1978, 1997 and 2013.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket