Cricket: Women’s Asia Cup: India sends SL packing winning Women’s Asia Cup

A horrendous batting from Sri Lankan ladies saw them handing the Women’s Asia Cup in a platter and losing by eight wickets, on Saturday, in Bangladesh, at the tournament’s final.

Indians chasing a walk-in-the-park target took their own cool time, entirely untroubled by their opposition bowlers.

However, in moments of iota of happiness for the losers, Inoka Ranaweera removed opener Shafali Verma. Jemimah Rodrigues, too, entered and exited, cheaply.

Ultimately, the experienced present and past captain duo of – Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana – saw them home. Latter finished the tournament unbeaten on 51.  

Lankan lasses, opting to bat first, suffered badly as the move ba

First to go was their captain herself, Chamari Athapaththu. Missing out on the moment that mattered to seize the opportunity and rest her poor run of form, she committed hara-kiri, running herself out.

That was only the beginning, as a pathetic procession started.

The Ladies simply crumbled, worse than a collapse, following each other in a hurry.

It was a horror show, including a near-hat-trick by Renuka Singh, making matters much worse.

The blessing in disguise, however, was they managed to escape the lowest score of 33, for which Lankans mauled minnows Malaysians en route to their finals.

In another miracle, they also managed to last their quota of overs, comparing from the precarious position they were in.  

Chief scores:

SL W:  65 for nine (20) (Oshadi Ranasinghe 13, Renuka Singh 3/5, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2/16, Sneh Rana 2/13)

Ind W: 71 for two (8.3) (Smriti Mandhana 51 not out, Inoka Ranaweera 1/17)