India posted the highest women’s ODI score in Sri Lanka, and their fourth-highest total in the format, which set them up for a statement win in the tri-series final in Colombo. After piling on the runs, they dismissed Sri Lanka for 245 to underline their dominance over a side they have only lost to three times in 34 completed ODIs.

Smriti Mandhana scored her 11th ODI century, and first against Sri Lanka, and was the senior partner in the two stands that formed the spine of the Indian batting effort. She put on 70 for the first wicket with Pratika Rawal and 120 for the second with Harleen Deol as India raced to 190 inside 33 overs. Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues all contributed scores in the 40s and India scored 90 runs off the last ten overs to top 340.

That meant Sri Lanka had to complete the highest successful chase in women’s ODIs – a record they already hold – and had to score at a shave under seven runs an over from the get-go. Although the surface and outfield were suited to run-scoring, the task was too tough. They had three half-century stands and one individual fifty from Chamari Athapaththu but could not keep up with the required run rate. Seamer Amanjot Kaur picked up three wickets and offspinner Sneh Rana bagged 4 for 38 to finish as the series’ leading wicket-taker.

But India did not have it all their way early on. Rawal could have been out third ball when she flicked Malki Madara into the leg side, where Harshitha Samarawickrama got hands to the ball but could not hold on. Mandhana was aggressive in the powerplay but she could have been out immediately afterwards when Inoka Ranaweera was brought on. Mandhana, on 21, hit her straight to mid-off where Piumi Wathsala palmed the chance over her head. In her next over, Ranaweera drew both Mandhana and Rawal’s edge but in the first instance, the ball flew through point for four and in the second, it fell short of backward point. Sri Lanka eventually broke through when Rawal handed a catch to Wathsala at mid-on and she made no mistake.

The fall of the wicket prompted Athapaththu to bring herself on and it did not take long before Mandhana got stuck in. She sent the first ball of Athapaththu’s second over back over her head for six. In the next over, Mandhana brought up fifty with a sweep for four through backward square leg in what became a favourite scoring area for her. She scored 34 runs in that section of the ground, exactly the same as the number of runs she scored through the covers and an indication of how well she used her feet to open up areas on the off and on side.

Mandhana dominated the second-wicket partnership, and scored 80 runs to Deol’s 37 and was particularly severe on Vihanga and Athapaththu. She scored 33 runs from the 23 balls she faced from Athapaththu, including 17 runs from Athapaththu’s seventh over. Her runs came with four successive sweeps for four and the third brought up Mandhana’s century, off 92 balls.

Just when Sri Lanka may have wondered where they would get a wicket from, Mandhana sliced Vihanga to backward point where Samarawickrama took a simple catch. Four overs later, Vihanga also removed Deol, whom she caught off her own bowling, to collect her 11th wicket of the series and put her level with Rana at the top of the bowling charts albeit temporarily.

Harmanpreet and Rodrigues were energetic at the crease and shared a 48-run stand in 32 balls, and both fell trying to play big shots off Sugandika Kumari. Harmanpreet top-edged an attempted sweep and was caught at short fine and Rodrigues was caught at long-on. Deepti Sharma added the finishing touches with 20 off 14 balls.

India’s defence got off to a perfect start when Amanjot bowled Hasini Perera with her third ball and Sri Lanka were 0 for 1. Athapaththu came in at No. 3 and announced herself when she smashed Amanjot through point and then hooked her over fine leg; it was clear India would have something of a fight on their hands. But Athapaththu struggled to sustain her fluency and though her stand with Vishmi Gunaratne grew 68, the required run rate climbed to 7.5 an over. When Amanjot returned for a second spell, Gunaratne was bowled as she moved too far across her stumps and missed a flick.

Athapaththu was on 25 off 39 balls then and upped her tempo to reach a 19th ODI half-century off 63 balls but had already offered India a chance. She was on 43 when she smashed the ball back at Rana and it burst through the Indian offspinner’s hands. Rana also appeared to injure herself attempting the catch but returned to get her own back. She lured Athapaththu forward with a full ball that snuck under the bat and bowled her. Sri Lanka were 121 for 3 in the 24th over and still needed 222 runs from 26.4 overs and it seemed only a matter of time before India would get their hands on the trophy.

Sri Lanka put up some late resistance through Samarawickrama, who scored 26 off 32 balls before sending Amanjot to backward point. Rana picked up a second when Nilakshika Silva was caught at long-off. Sri Lanka’s eighth-wicket pair of Sanjeewani and Kumari frustrated India’s attack and put on 47 in 53 balls. It took a run-out and a double-strike from Rana in her final spell to finish things off. Still, India sounded a warning ahead of this year’s World Cup, where they are among the favourites. Sri Lanka, who don’t have any more matches scheduled before the tournament, have some work to do.

Brief scores:

India Women 342 for 7 in 50 overs (Pratika Rawal 30, Smriti Mandhana 116, Harlene Deol 47, Harmanpreet Kaur 41, Jemimah Rodrigues 44, Deepti Sharma 20*; Malki Madara 2-74, Dewmi Vihanga 2-69, Sugandika Kumari 2-59) beat Sri Lanka Women 245 in 48.2 overs  (Vishmi Gunaretne 36, Chamari Athapaththu 51, Nilakshika Silva 48, Harshitha Samarawickreme 26, Anushka Sanjeewani 28, Sugandika Kumari 27; Sneh Rana 4-38, Amanjot Kaur 3-54) by 97 runs

[Cricinfo]

In a bizarre turn of events in a Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier game between UAE and Qatar in Bangkok, UAE retired out all ten batters at the score of 192 for 0 in 16 overs. It was the first instance of a team retiring out more than two batters in a men’s or women’s international match. UAE then went on to roll Qatar over for just 29 in an innings that featured seven ducks to seal a massive 163-run win in a match that lasted 27.1 overs.

Since the UAE innings also had eight ducks, the game saw a record 15 ducks, easily the most in a women’s T20I.

Opting to bat, UAE openers Esha Oza , also the captain, and Theetha Satish were cruising along in their century partnership, with Oza on 113 and Satish on 74. But then UAE decided to end the innings. Since a declaration is not allowed in limited-overs cricket, Oza, Satish, and eight other batters (without facing a ball) were retired out. As a result, UAE were all out for 192 in 16 overs.

When Sanath Jayasuriya walked into his first media briefing as Head Coach, he didn’t waste time playing it safe. He went straight to the point — fielding was going to be a game-changer. And true to his word, what the team has pulled off over the last 12 months is nothing short of a stunning comeback.

Here was a side that had just been bundled out of the ICC Cricket World Cup with a wooden spoon finish — ninth place — and failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy. But under Jayasuriya’s stewardship, Sri Lanka has punched above its weight, defeating the top two ranked teams in the world — Australia and India. And in this remarkable turnaround, fielding has been the unsung hero, the silent game-winner.

Doubling down on the importance of fielding, the team management roped in India’s former fielding guru R. Sridhar for a ten-day high-intensity camp. A coach who comes with a glowing reputation, Sridhar isn’t just focusing on the big boys — he’s spreading the gospel of fielding to the development squads and the under-19s too. It’s a move that signals intent — Sri Lanka wants to be sharp, not just with the bat and ball, but in the field as well.

These efforts to lift fielding standards deserve a standing ovation. One can only wonder how different things might’ve been if this sort of proactive thinking had been in place two years ago. The writing was on the wall even then — dropped catches, fumbled run-outs, and lazy throws were costing games. But instead of addressing the problem head-on, the management handed the reins to an overhyped foreign coach and, in cricketing terms, ended up hitting their own wickets.

Since Jayasuriya took over, he’s turned the tide. He brought in Upul Chandana — Sri Lanka’s very own livewire in the field — from within the SLC coaching system. Chandana, with his unconventional drills and energetic approach, has injected fresh blood and urgency into the unit. The players now seem to have caught the fielding bug.

That’s how it should be. While someone like Chandana remains as a permanent fixture, brief stints from specialists like Sridhar allow new ideas to bounce around the dressing room.

Earlier, even Jonty Rhodes, arguably the Michael Jordan of fielding, spent a few days in Colombo. He quickly identified the blind spots and sharpened Sri Lanka’s fielding toolkit.

That said, no matter how many big-ticket coaches you bring in, no fielding revolution can succeed unless the players themselves buy in. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it dive full-length in the covers.

And for too long, that buy-in was missing. Thankfully, the tide seems to be turning — especially with the next-gen stars who appear hungrier, more agile, and aware that in modern cricket, fielding can win you matches.

Look no further than T.M. Dilshan. Initially groomed as a wicketkeeper, his path was blocked by a certain Kumar Sangakkara — who, let’s face it, wasn’t giving up the gloves anytime soon. So Dilshan pivoted. He transformed himself into a brilliant outfielder, arguably the best in the side. His work ethic was legendary.

After every net session, he’d drag Fielding Coach Trevor Penney to the boundary and aim for ten direct hits a day. In the early days, it took him hours to meet that mark. But with persistence and practice, he was hitting the target in just 15 minutes. That’s the stuff champions are made of — grit, grind, and getting your whites dirty.

What Sri Lanka needs now are more players with that Dilshan mindset — willing to do the hard yards, chase leather like it’s gold, and throw themselves around like they’re defending their mother’s dowry.

With Jayasuriya calling the shots, Chandana in the dugout, and experts like Sridhar chipping in, Sri Lanka’s fielding fortunes are finally turning a corner. It’s early days, but if this momentum continues, the Lions might just roar again — not just with the bat and ball, but in every blade of grass they defend.

by Rex Clementine