After being comprehensively beaten by India in the three-match ODI series, Sri Lanka turned the tide by clinching a three-wicket win with a ball to spare in the first of the three Twenty20 matches at Chintalavalasa, near here on Saturday.
Shashikala Siriwardena (52, 52b, 5x4, 1x6), who came in at No. 4, played a captain’s innings to rally the team.
India, asked to bat on a batting wicket, made 147 for three.
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India had the match in its grip after left-arm spinner Ekta Bist picked up two wickets in one over to have Sri Lanka struggling at 94 for six in the 14th over.
Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad made an impressive T20 debut picking up three wickets, including that of Yasodha Mendis and Oshadi Ranasinghe, the latter when she was looking aggressive.
Shashikala found an able partner in Chamari Polgampala (19 not out, 26b, 2x4) to add 45 runs for the seventh wicket. The two sent an erratic Jhulan Goswami around the ground, taking 18 runs in the 18th over which turned the match Sri Lanka’s way.
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Earlier, Mithali (67, 47b, 9x4, 2x6) played a typical T20 innings and put on 71 for the opening wicket with Anagha Deshpande (21) and 67 for the second wicket with Harmanpreet Kaur (40 not out, 40b, 2x4, 2x6).
India’s run rate dropped after her exit and only nine runs were scored off the last 15 balls.
The scores: India 147 for three in 20 overs (Mithali Raj 67, Harmanpreet Kaur 40 n.o.) lost to Sri Lanka 148 for seven in 19.5 overs (Shashikala Siriwardena 52, Rajeshwari Gayakwad three for 24).