India Women vs Sri Lanka Women, Asia Cup 2022 Highlights: Relentless IND beat SL by 41 runs

That's that, a stumping ends the Sri Lankan innings on 109 in 18.2 overs.  A bit of a dud in the end, Sri Lanka never really posed any challenge with the bat. But the fact remains that the Indians were brilliant, particularly in the field. Ridiculously hot conditions out there and they came out on top, the best possible start to the tournament. 

Sugandika Kumari gets a drive out and the ball is hit straight to Smriti Mandhana. Kumari was probably looking to clear the fielder, fails in the attempt. Sri Lanka 106/8. 

Completely misses a sweep accross the line and Sanjeewani is caught plumb in front of the stumps. Only an edge could have saved her, that is not there either and Radha Yadav gets her first wicket of the day. 

Sanjeewani lbw b Yadav 5 (9), Sri Lanka 81/6 in 13.5 overs

Perera takes it on the full toss by skipping down the track and whacks it downtown for four. Sri Lanka can use many more of those. They are 72/5 in 12 overs, need 79 to win off 48 balls. 

Dilhari tries to go over the top, only ends up spooning the ball to mid-on. Easiest of catches for Renuka to take and Sri Lanka crumbling now. 

Dilhari c Renuka Singh b Vastrakar 1 (8), Sri Lanka 61/5 in 10.5 overs

It will take a herculean effort from Sri Lanka now to win this. Just too many wickets have fallen and not too many runs scorer. India were only a few runs ahead of them at this stage in their innings but they still had eight wickets in hand. 

De Silva beaten by the pace and that is the first wicket for a pacer in this tournament. De Silva plumb in front and has to go. 

de Silva lbw b Vastrakar 3 (5), Sri Lanka 56/4 in 8.3 overs. 

That is an ugly one and it the set Samarawickrama who pays the price in the end. She is the guilty party here, Perera came down the track to knock the ball to midwicket off Radha Yadav. Mandhana comes to collect it as Perera continues to run down the track for a single but her partner is standing there watching the ball, blisfully unaware of what she is doing. By the time she turns around and looks at what's happening at the other end of the pitch, it's too late. Samarawickrama sets out but the Mandhana throws the ball to Richa Ghosh who takes off the stumps with the batter nowhere in the picture. 

Samarawickrama run out (Mandhana/Ghosh) 26 (20), SL 48/3 in 7.2 overs

How about that, Malsha Shehani was the one who took a sensational catch to dismiss Smriti Mandhana earlier and she is now a victim of some world class fielding. She dabs the ball to the offside to steal a quick single Deepti sprints, takes the ball and hits the stumps all in seemingly one swift move. Replays show that the batter was nowhere near the crease at the time the stumps broke. 

Shehani run out (Deepti) 9 (6), Sri Lanka 39/2 in 5.1 overs

First wicket for India but there is some concern as well. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh started running after the ball, it flew up off the top edge of Athapaththu's bat. But then she seemed to abort when she saw that Renuka had settled underneath it and immediately falls down. It is probably a cramp and even a stretcher is brought in. Fortunately, Richa doesn't need it, she walks off the field and Shafali Verma is keeping wickets.  

Athapaththu c Renuka Singh b Deepti 5, SL 27/1 in 3.3 overs

Shafali doesn't backtrack early enough at mid-off and the ball is beyond her reach. Just to rub salt into the wound it runs away to the boundary. 

Harshitha Samarawickrama opens for SL with Chamari Athapathu at the other end, Renuka Singh Thakur with the ball in hand for India. The first delivery is a dot ball and Renuka pitches up the second one. Samarawickrama creams it through covers for four. 

A strange incident towards the end of that innings. Pooja Vastrakar seemed to have made her ground after running a tight single, the decision was sent upstairs as usual and it looked like she was safe in the replays. But the decision that was announced on the big screen was “OUT”. Vastrakar herself seemed a little confused, she stood her ground for a few seconds before walking off. It was the second last ball of the innings and so, its unlikely that this will be made a big deal of but that was a bizarre incident nonetheless. 

Length ball from Athapaththu that stays low and knocks Jemimah over. A sensational innings comes to an end and it may have won India the match. 

Jemimah b Athapaththu 76 (53), India are 134/4 in 17.4 overs

The only thing stopping that from being a full-fledged switch hit was that she didn't change her grip. Flighted delivery, Jemimah switches her stance and then sweeps it behind square for what originally was her offside for a boundary, the second one in a row in the over. 

She was starting to go for every ball and perishes. Harmanpreet comes down the track, Ranasinghe sees that and throws it wide. The Indian captain misses the delivery and the wicketkeeper does the rest. 

Harmanpreet st Sanjeewani b Ranasinghe 33 (30), India 115/3 in 15.5 overs

It is ridiculously hot and Harmanpreet signals to the dug out after taking a single. She lets the bat drop and then goes down on her haunches as the physio runs out with a few of Harmanpreet's team mates with cold towels, fluids and a big umbrella. The partnership between these two is on 81 off 64, it really has been some show. 

Perfect timing as well as the Indian innings enters the last four overs. This is all looking very good for India but then the one thing that does threaten these players is the heat and humidity out there.

She gets there in 38 balls. Her eighth half century and Sri Lanka in a real spot of both. Jemimah is looking absolutely golden today, glittering shots, absolutely picture perfect. 

50 partnership between these two! Jemimah steps down the track and sends Dilhari downtown. First six of the tournament for India. 

This is not good news for Sri Lanka. Harmanpreet was playing second fiddle for Jemimah so far, it will India all the way if she succesfully switches gears and they fire from both ends. 

Glorious cover drive once again from Jemimah off the fourth ball of the eighth and India get to 50. Then she smashes one through midwicket for another boundary off the last ball of that over. Jemimah is now on 36 off 25 and runs are just flowing for her and India now. 

Looks like a good recovery is on here for the Indians, they are looking to not lose wickets but Jemimah has kept the scoreboard ticking nicely as well. Sri Lanka know they have to take at least two more wickets as quickly as possible so as to not lose all the pressure they built with those two early wickets. 

It looked like Jemimah had hit India's first six of the tournament but the third umpire decides that the ball did not really hit the rope on the full. Quite a loose delivery that from Achini Kulasuriya after being driven for four off the previous, full toss on leg, Jemimah just whips it away to the boundary. 

Glorious from Jemimah. Full delivery outside off, Jemimah leans into a near perfect cover drive for four. She has looked thus far and moves to 22 off 18 with that.