Indian 'girl power' in Hangzhou; Women's cricket team clinch historic gold

BEIJING: History has been created in Hangzhou as the women’s cricket team clinched their maiden gold defeating Sri Lanka by 19 runs. This is India's second gold in the 2023 Asian Games.

After winning the toss, India elected to bat and scored 116 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The Lankan team had to surpass the 116 score line but succumbed in front of the Indian bowling masterclass. Despite the low scoreline, It was the bowling excellence that paved the way for India’s historic gold in the Asian games.

Only Smriti Mandana (46 runs off 45 balls) and Jemima Rodriguez (42 runs off 40 balls) could shine with the bat putting up a decent fight against the Lankan bowling attack. Their crucial 73-run partnership helped India trudge to a decent total. Malayali player Minnumani was also a part of the Indian team.

India's Titas Sadhu took three wickets including a double wicket maiden in her first over. Rajeshwari Gayakwad took two wickets while Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar and Devika Vaidya took one each.

Sri Lanka's top scorer is Hasini Perera who scored 25 runs off 22 balls. India reached the final after defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets in the semi-final.