IND vs SL Women’s Tri Series

If you are Smriti Mandhana, scores of 43, 36, 18, and 51 over four One-Day International knocks in a series is a below-par return. Since June 2024, before the start of the Women’s Tri-Series in Colombo a fortnight ago, Smriti averaged 64.5 over 15 ODIs, scoring just 23 short of a 1,000 runs with five centuries.

And so, in the build-up to the final against Sri Lanka, it felt like the star Indian opener was yet to truly deliver in a tournament where the scores were generally quite high.

All that changed on Sunday, as Smriti smashed her 11th ODI century against the hosts. Her 101-ball 116, studded with 15 fours and two sixes, powered India to a mammoth 342/7, which proved to be 97 runs too many for Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka. The islanders kept themselves somewhat in the contest as long as the skipper was around, but a flurry of wickets from 173/3 to 192/7 all but ended any slim chances they had.

India’s bowling effort was led by Sneh Rana (4/38), while Amanjot Kaur (3/54) did her all-round reputation no harm – both had a series to remember on their return to India colours after a break.