Golden moment for Indian women’s cricket as they win Asian Games 2023 gold

India women successfully defended 116 to beat Sri Lanka women by 19 runs and win a historic gold medal in cricket at the Asian Games 2023.

Titas Sadhu orchestrated a dream start with the ball for India women, picking up three wickets in two overs and finishing with astonishing figures of 3/6 from four overs.

At 14/3, Sri Lanka women were lifted by a 36-run partnership between Hasini Perera and Nilakshi de Silva. Rajeshwari Gayakwad gave India a much-needed breakthrough through the wicket of Perera, but the job wasn’t done yet.

Oshadi Ranasinghe kept Sri Lanka alive for the longest time in the chase, but her wicket had Sri Lanka with too much to get as they eventually finished on 97/8.

India then tightened the screws in the last five overs, keeping their nerves and winning the first-ever gold medal in cricket for India.

This is a historic achievement for the Indian women’s cricket team, and they deserve all the praise for their hard work and dedication.

Batting first, Harmanpreet’s team scored 116 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. India’s bowling was exceptional, limiting Sri Lanka to just 87/8. Titas Sadhu was India’s standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for only 6 runs in 4 overs.

In terms of the match, India won the toss and chose to bat, marking Harmanpreet Kaur‘s return after a 2-match suspension. Despite the early dismissal of Shefali Verma, openers Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues steadied the innings.

In a historic moment at the Asian Games 2023, the Indian women’s cricket team secured the gold medal by defeating Sri Lanka in the final. This marked India’s first-ever participation in the cricket events at the Asian Games. Batting first, Harmanpreet’s team posted a total of 116 runs, losing 7 wickets. India’s exceptional bowling performance restricted Sri Lanka to just 87/8 on the 22-yard pitch. Titas Sadhu emerged as India’s standout bowler, claiming 3 wickets for a mere 6 runs in 4 overs.

The decision to bat first came after winning the toss, and it marked the return of Harmanpreet Kaur following a two-match suspension. Despite the early dismissal of Shefali Verma, openers Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues contributed significantly to rebuilding the innings.

Inoka Ranaweera provided Sri Lanka with a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Smriti for 46 off 45 balls, featuring four boundaries and a six. This partnership between Mandhana and Rodrigues, which amassed 73 runs, ended when India was at 89/2 in 14.5 overs.

Unfortunately, this wicket triggered a collapse in the Indian innings, and apart from Rodrigues, who scored 42 in 40 balls with five fours, no other batter could stand against the Lankan side. India concluded their innings at 116/7 in 20 overs. Kumari (2/30), Ranaweera (2/21), and Udeshika Prabodhani (2/16) were the key wicket-takers for Sri Lanka.

Indian women’s cricket achieved historic gold at the Asian Games 2023 by defeating Sri Lanka in a thrilling final. This marked India’s maiden participation in the cricketing events at the Asian Games, and they emerged as champions through an exceptional all-around performance.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur’s team posted a competitive total of 116 runs while losing 7 wickets. India showcased remarkable bowling skills on the 22-yard strip, restricting Sri Lanka to just 87/8. Titas Sadhu emerged as India’s star bowler, claiming an impressive 3 wickets for just 6 runs in 4 overs.

In the match, India’s decision to bat first marked the return of Harmanpreet Kaur after a two-match suspension. Despite the early dismissal of Shefali Verma, openers Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues played pivotal roles in rebuilding the innings.

Inoka Ranaweera provided Sri Lanka with a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Smriti for 46 off 45 balls, featuring four boundaries and a six. At 89/2 in 14.5 overs, the 73-run partnership between Mandhana and Rodrigues came to an end.

However, this wicket led to a collapse in the Indian innings, with the exception of Rodrigues, who scored 42 in 40 balls with five fours. India concluded their innings at 116/7 in 20 overs. Kumari (2/30), Ranaweera (2/21), and Udeshika Prabodhani (2/16) were among the wicket-takers for Sri Lanka.

Facing a target of 117 runs, Sri Lanka was challenged by medium-pacer Titas Sandhu, who dismissed the top order, including skipper Chamari Athapaththu (12), Anushka Sanjeewani (1), and Vishmi Gunaratne (0). This reduced SL to 14/3 in 4.2 overs.

Despite facing adversity, Hasini Perera and Nilakshi de Silva began rebuilding the Lankan innings, crossing the 50-run mark in 9.3 overs. Nevertheless, Rajeshwari Gayakwad shifted the momentum in India’s favor by removing Hasini for 25 off 22 balls, featuring four boundaries and a six. At 50/4 in 9.5 overs, the task became even more challenging for Sri Lanka.

From that point on, spinners Deepti Sharma and Devika Vaidya skillfully controlled the run rate. However, Nilakshi and Oshadi Ranasinghe fought back with some boundaries, leaving Sri Lanka with 43 runs to get in the final five overs.

However, Pooja Vastrakar, India’s standout performer in the semifinal with the ball, delivered a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Nilakshi for 23 runs from 34 balls, putting an end to their hard-fought 28-run partnership. At this stage, Sri Lanka’s score stood at 78/5 after 16.1 overs.

Deepti Sharma also made her mark by removing Ranasinghe, who had contributed a determined 19 runs from 26 balls. With this dismissal, Sri Lanka found themselves at 86/6 in 17.4 overs.

Despite their efforts, Sri Lanka faced the daunting task of scoring 30 runs in the final two overs, falling short by 19 runs of India’s total.