India have lost only once to Sri Lanka in the history of the Women's ODI World Cup.
The Women’s World Cup 2025 kickstarted in Guwahati today (September 30) with co-hosts India and Sri Lanka locking horns in the opener.
After winning the toss, Sri Lanka put India in to bat first. The Women in Blue got off to a steady start, but had some crunch moments in their innings. However, a century partnership between Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma took the Indians to a competitive 269/8.
The match was reduced to 47 overs per side due to rain interruptions. The Sri Lankans started in a very promising manner, but could not hold their fort for long. As a result, they succumbed towards the end, and were defeated by 59 runs (DLS Method). Skipper Chamari Athapaththu was their highest run-scorer with a sturdy 43. Nilakshika Silva also contributed with 35, but the other batters could not get going.
120/2 at the end of 25 overs is a pretty good position to be in. The Women in Blue were in the exact same position, and were planning on changing gear, just when Inoka Ranaweera unleashed wrath upon the Blues. The left-arm off-spinner fired three wickets in the same over, which derailed the Indian innings. In a matter of 12 deliveries, India lost four wickets to get reduced to 124/6.
Sri Lanka have been extremely good with their spinners in the middle overs of the game. In the 50-over format, the team controlling the middle overs is the one which achieves success more often than not. And Sri Lanka surely did cause some damage. To add to that, Ranaweera now holds 18 wickets against India in ODIs, the most for her amongst any other nation. She went past her tally of 14 against the West Indies.
A strength that Ranaweera possesses is her ability to bowl the arm ball without a change in her grip. That’s exactly how she got rid of Jemimah Rodrigues. The 25-year-old played for the delivery coming in, but it went away from her to crash onto the off-stump. Ranaweera ended her spell with figures of 4/46 with an economy of 5.11.
Just when India were in a heap of trouble, they were saved by a stunning partnership from Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma. The duo stitched a 103-run stand before the former was dismissed in the 44th over. To add to that, her innings of 57 comprised five boundaries and a solitary six. The all-rounder steadied India’s ship along with Deepti Sharma and provided a platform from where they could launch for a competitive total.
Amanjot’s inclusion worked out in this match, but the Indian management will have an important question in front of them for the tournament. The inclusion of the fast bowling all-rounder does add a lot of stability to the batting order. But the Women in Blue might be risking their bowling depth for the same. How they manage to balance the same in front of big teams like Australia and England will have to be seen.
Deepti Sharma added a run-a-ball 53 to take India to a competitive total of 269/8. From where the Blues were after the 26th over mark, it was a significant recovery. One thing which proved to be the x-factor for the Indians was the variety in their side. Both their all-rounders managed to score fifties and also pick wickets. However, the Indians have Renuka Singh warming the bench, and that would be a good option as well.
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Spin bowling has always been one of the strengths for the Indian side. The story was no different in their opener against Sri Lanka. Led by Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana, the spinners ended up picking more than half of the wickets to take India home safely. The turning point in the second innings would be the wicket of the Sri Lankan skipper. Deepti Sharma bowled a superb delivery which castled the stumps of the Lankan skipper. She was nearing a well-structured 50 and could have been a crucial asset for her team in the chase.
The fact that the tournament is being played in the subcontinent will be crucial to India’s chances. The Women in Blue have always had some good spinners in their side. The two spinners also have the services of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who can also roll her arm over. The balance in the team is what is propelling India towards strong performances on the field. Apart from Pratika Rawal who bowled just two overs, every bowler ended up getting a wicket. The Blues will take this as a huge positive ahead of their next game against arch-rivals Pakistan.
However, Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. will have to be careful against the likes of Australia and England. Both teams have won the coveted tournament the most number of times and will pose as a major threat this time too. Teams like Australia have good spin-bowling options which can rattle any side on their day. Nonetheless, this will act as a brilliant start to India’s campaign.
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