4th T20I: Smriti Mandhana makes 80, Shafali hits 79 as India smash 221/2 against Sri Lanka

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 28 (IANS) Smriti Mandhana struck a brilliant 80 off 48 balls while Shafali Verma continued her good run by hitting 79 off 46 deliveries, her third successive half-century in this series, as India posted a massive 221/2, their highest women’s T20I score, against Sri Lanka in the fourth T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Asked to bat first for the first time in the series, Smriti and Shafali laid the foundation for the tall score with a blistering 162-run opening stand, India’s highest-ever partnership for the first wicket in T20Is.

Shafali continued her rich vein of form with her third consecutive fifty, which was laced with 12 fours and a six. Smriti, on the other hand, took her time to get going before matching her partner stroke for stroke in a knock where she hit 11 fours and three sixes. Though both fell in successive overs, Richa Ghosh applied finishing touches with an unbeaten 40 off just 16 balls. Her late assault, coupled with Harmanpreet Kaur’s 16 not out off 10 balls, ensured India closed with a flourish by adding 63 runs in the last five overs.

Sri Lanka, which had been keen to bowl first throughout the series, had only Malsha Shehani and Nimasha Madushani as their wicket-takers. They now face the daunting task of chasing 222. Much will depend on Chamari Athapaththu, playing her 150th T20I game, if they are to mount a serious challenge to chasing India’s imposing total.

India raced to 61/0 at the end of the powerplay, with boundaries flowing freely from the bats of Smriti and Shafali as every over in the opening phase yielded at least two fours. The Sri Lankan bowlers found no respite as captain Chamari cycled through her options without success.

Smriti reached a significant milestone during her innings, becoming just the fourth woman and second Indian after Mithali Raj to reach 10,000 international runs. She brought up her fifty off 36 balls alongside Shafali, who got her half-century in 30 balls.

After a brief slowdown during overs 7-9, where India managed just 14 runs, Shafali and Smriti exploded by plundering 74 runs in the next five overs. The acceleration was remarkable: the first 50 runs came in 32 balls, the next 50 in 33 balls, but the final 50 required just 21 deliveries.

Nimasha broke through in the 16th over by dismissing Shafali caught and bowled, before Smriti followed soon after, falling to Malsha when her top edge was caught by backward square leg.

Richa then unleashed carnage in the death overs, smashing an unbeaten quick-fire knock that included a brutal assault on Kavisha Dilhari in the 19th over – smashing three sixes and a four in four consecutive balls. She and Harmanpreet added an unbroken 50-run partnership in just 24 balls to propel India past their previous best of 217/4, set against the West Indies in Navi Mumbai last year.

Brief scores:

India 221/2 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 80, Shafali Verma 79, Richa Ghosh 40 not out; Malsha Shehani 1-32, Nimasha Madushani 1-40) against Sri Lanka

--IANS

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