Tri Nation Series 2025: Clinical Team India Crush Sri Lanka To Start Campaign In Style

Team India got off to a dominant start against Sri Lanka in the Women’s Tri-Nation Series with a comprehensive 9-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. 

After electing to field first, India produced a clinical and disciplined bowling performance in a rain effected encounter that left Sri Lanka struggling for momentum throughout their innings. 

Sri Lanka’s Struggles With The Bat

Sri Lanka’s batting effort never really found its feet after being asked to bat first, in a rain reduced 39 overs affair. Opening their innings with Hasini Perera and Chamari Athapaththu, they struggled for early momentum against a disciplined Indian attack. 

Chamari Athapaththu, the captain and their most experienced batter, could not make a significant impact. She managed just 7 runs off 18 deliveries before falling to a sharp delivery from Arundhati Reddy, who had her caught behind by Richa Ghosh. That early breakthrough set the tone for India, who kept the pressure high from the outset.

Hasini Perera tried to anchor the innings, showing patience and occasional aggression in her 30 off 46 balls, hitting four boundaries in the process. 

However, she lacked support at the other end. Harshitha Samarawickrama, coming in at number three, was run out in a mix-up orchestrated by Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh’s alert fielding, which epitomized India’s energy on the field. The run out disrupted any rhythm Sri Lanka was beginning to find.

India Dominates From Get-Go

The wickets kept tumbling in clusters. Hansima Karunaratne could not settle in and was dismissed for just 4, giving Sneh Rana her first breakthrough as she fell to a smart return catch. 

Rana bowled with great control, getting sharp turn and consistently troubling the batters. She went on to dismiss Nilakshika Silva, who managed 10 from 13 balls, and further tightened the screws when she trapped Hasini Perera in front of the stumps, completing an excellent three-wicket haul.

Kavisha Dilhari offered a brief counterpunch, playing an enterprising knock of 25 from 26 balls, striking three boundaries and looking the most fluent of the Sri Lankan batters. But her innings was cut short by debutant Shree Charani, who picked up her first wicket by getting Dilhari caught by Arundhati Reddy. 

Shree Charani’s clever variations also accounted for Piumi Badalge, who fell for just 2 runs, caught by Pratika Rawal at point, as Sri Lanka slipped deeper into trouble.

Anushka Sanjeewani tried to hold one end up, contributing 22 off 39 balls with three boundaries, but she found little support from the lower order. Deepti Sharma joined the act, bowling with her usual discipline and control. 

She was instrumental in the middle overs, claiming the wickets of Achini Kulasuriya, who tried to hang around for 17 runs off 34 balls, and then stumping Anushka Sanjeewani through quick glovework from Richa Ghosh.

Supreme Fielding Effort By India

India’s fielding was a major highlight of the innings. The two run outs, that of Samarawickrama and later Malki Madara, who was dismissed without much impact, were the result of sustained pressure and sharp awareness in the field.

Debutant Kashvee Gautam, though wicketless, bowled a tight spell, conceding just 28 runs in her 8 overs, and Pratika Rawal bowled a solitary but economical over, helping maintain the squeeze.

Ultimately, Sri Lanka’s innings folded for 147 in 38.1 overs, well short of utilizing their allotted 39 overs. Extras made a significant contribution to the total, with 14 runs coming through wides and byes, but the hosts’ inability to stitch together meaningful partnerships or counter India’s clinical bowling and sharp fielding led to a modest and underwhelming score.

India Chase Down Total With Ease

Chasing a modest target of 148, India approached the task with a sense of calm authority, showcasing maturity and composure throughout their innings to complete a convincing nine-wicket victory. From the outset, India’s batters looked in control, with Smriti Mandhana setting the tone early. 

Smriti Mandhana Sets The Base

Known for her elegant stroke play and natural timing, Mandhana played a characteristically fluent knock, scoring 43 runs off just 46 deliveries. 

She peppered the field with six crisp boundaries, using her wrists beautifully to find gaps and punishing anything slightly overpitched or short. Her innings provided India with vital early momentum, ensuring that the pressure of the chase was never allowed to build. The only moment of joy for Sri Lanka came when Inoka Ranaweera, the experienced left-arm spinner, managed to dismiss Mandhana. 

Ranaweera bowled with control and guile, and it was her flighted delivery that induced a false shot from Mandhana, leading to a simple catch. However, by that time, India had already laid a strong foundation, and the wicket did little to change the course of the match.

Harleen Deol and Pratika Rawal Seal The Deal

From there on, Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol took over, constructing a composed and unhurried partnership that ensured there were no further hiccups. Rawal, showing great maturity beyond her years, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 50 off 62 balls. 

She displayed a wide range of strokes, finding seven boundaries with superb placement and timing. Rawal rotated the strike cleverly and showed excellent awareness of the match situation, balancing aggression and caution perfectly. 

Her half-century, a fourth one at this level, was a statement of her temperament and class, and it ultimately earned her the Player of the Match award.

At the other end, Harleen Deol provided solid support, playing a more measured knock. She remained unbeaten on 48 from 71 deliveries, content to take her time and accumulate runs steadily. Deol’s innings was a study in control, and she ensured that there was no rush, no panic, even when scoring opportunities dried up briefly. 

Her composure complemented Rawal’s fluency, and together they stitched an unbroken 98-run partnership for the second wicket that completely deflated any hopes Sri Lanka had of making a comeback.

India’s intent was clear from the outset — they reached their fifty inside just nine overs, indicating a positive approach without taking unnecessary risks. They brought up the team hundred by the 21st over, maintaining a healthy scoring rate throughout the innings. The batters never allowed Sri Lanka’s bowlers to settle into any rhythm.

On the bowling side, Sri Lanka struggled to create sustained pressure. Apart from Inoka Ranaweera, who showed her experience by bowling with good flight and changes of pace, the rest of the bowling attack lacked the penetration needed to trouble India’s batters. 

Malki Madara, Achini Kulasuriya, and Kavisha Dilhari bowled economically in patches, but they were unable to break partnerships or apply enough scoreboard pressure. There were moments where they kept India quiet for a few overs, but the lack of wickets meant the Indian batters could reset and reassert themselves quickly.

In the end, India crossed the finish line at 149 for 1 in just 29.4 overs, wrapping up a dominant performance that highlighted the depth and confidence within their squad. This comprehensive win not only handed India their first points of the tri-series but also served as an early warning to their opponents. 

With their bowlers executing plans to perfection and the top-order batters exuding calm assurance, India looked a well-rounded and formidable unit right from the start of the competition.

Brief Scores: Tri-Nation Series 2025: India vs Sri Lanka – Match 1

Sri Lanka: 147 all out in 38.1 overs (Hasini Perera 30, Kavisha Dilhari 25; Sneh Rana 3/31, Shree Charani 2/25, Deepti Sharma 2/27) lost to India: 149/1 in 29.4 overs (Pratika Rawal 50*, Harleen Deol 48*, Smriti Mandhana 43; Inoka Ranaweera 1/27) by 9 wickets.

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