India coasted to a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second women’s ODI and took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series here on Tuesday.
The visitors found left-arm spinner Gouhar Sultana difficult to handle after medium pacer Amita Sharma cut short a flying start provided by Yasoda Mendis. Later Smriti Mandhana with a half-century and Poonam Raut set India on course for a comfortable win with their 74-run opening stand.
Set to score 141, India went about the task in a steady manner with the openers finding gaps easily.
The Lankan bowling and fielding was not as good as in the first match.
For Sri Lanka, captain and off-spinner Shashikala Siriwardena and left-arm spinner Chandima Gunarathne were impressive and picked up a wicket each after Raut (38, 58b, 7x4) was run out by Udeshika Prabodhani.
Smriti scored the first half-century for India in the series (51, 111b, 8x4). Captain Mithali Raj (31, 2x4) and Karuna Jain (19) gathered runs with ease to take India past the target. Shashikala deployed seven bowlers, including herself.
Earlier, asked to bat, Sri Lanka found an aggressive opener in Yasoda Mendis (56, 29b, 7x4, 3x6). She was severe on Jhulan Goswami who conceded 19 runs in her first two overs.
The other pacer N. Niranjana was also expensive in her first two overs.
The run blitz stopped with Amita Sharma’s introduction when she picked up Chamari Atapattu.
The Sri Lankans then went into defensive mode and Sultana sent back Shashikala, who was trying to rebuild the innings with Chamari Polgampola, and Deepkia Rasangika in the space of three balls. Chamari (29, 93b) put up a brave fight. She once survived a close run out appeal but was not so lucky a few balls later when she failed to make her ground by a long distance.
The scores: Sri Lanka 140 in 47.1 overs (Yasoda Mendis 56, Chamari Polgampola 28, Gouhar Sultana four for 15) lost to India 143 for three in 39.3 overs (Smriti Mandhana 51, Poonam Raut 38, Mithali Raj 31 n.o.).
