Team India secured the gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, on Monday, September 25. They defeated Sri Lanka in the final to claim the historic after defeating Bangladesh and Malaysia in the earlier rounds as well.
However, Harmanpreet Kaur returned to the playing XI as well as a captain in the summit clash after serving a two-match ban. The punishment was issued to her after smashing the stumps in anger and also for her comments on the match officials after the third ODI against Bangladesh on July 22. Coming back to the final, India won the toss and elected to bat first at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket field as well in the Asian Games 2023 final.
But, Team India lost Shafali Varma within the powerplay. Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues then stitched up a partnership for the second wicket to give India a steady start. Both batters scored their 40s as Sri Lankan bowlers kept taking wickets at the back end of the innings. From 89-1, the Indian Team finished at 116-7 to conclude the innings in the Asian Games 2023.
A moment that swells every Indian heart with pride 🇮🇳 🥹
📹 | The Indian Women Cricket Team’s historic gold medal ceremony at the #AsianGames 🥇🙇#SonySportsNetwork #Hangzhou2022 #Cheer4India #IssBaar100Paar #Cricket #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/pBOHD4C3Zg
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 25, 2023
While chasing in the Asian Games 2023, Sri Lanka also found it tough to score on the slow and sluggish wicket. Harmanpreet brought the young speedster Titas Sadhu and she struck immediately. Soon, they found themselves struggling at 14-3 in the fifth over, with the key batter and skipper Chamari Athapaththu getting out for a run-a-ball 12. Sadhu, 18, finished with brilliant figures of 4-1-6-3 as well.
Sri Lankan players tried to bounce back with a small partnership for the fourth wicket, but the required rate kept increasing. Indian bowlers kept the pressure on with their appropriate line and length and kept picking up wickets also. And, they could only end up with 97-8 in their allotted 20 overs and finished as runners-up in the marquee event.
Asian Games 2023: India vs Sri Lanka Brief scores
India 116/7 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 46, Jemimah Rodrigues 42; Udeshika Prabodhani 2/16, Inoka Ranaweekra 2/21) beat Sri Lanka 97/8 in 20 overs (Hasini Perera 25; Titas Sadhu 3/6, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2/20) by 19 runs.
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