IND-W Vs SL-W Women’s Asia Cup 2024: Chamari Athapaththu And Hashitha Samarawickrama Power Sri Lanka To Maiden Title As Smriti Mandhana’s Fifty Goes In Vain

Sri Lanka women's cricket team won their maiden Women's Asia Cup 2024 title, defeating India by eight wickets in the final at Dambulla on Sunday.

Hosts Sri Lanka clinched the women’s Asia Cup 2024 title for the first time in their history defeating defending champions India women’s cricket team by eight wickets in the final at Dambulla on Sunday. Half-centuries by skipper Chamari Athapaththu and No. 3 batter Hashitha Samarawickrama set up a Lankan win with 8 balls to spare. 

Chasing 166 to win, the Lankans romped to the target with Athapaththu smashing 61 off 43 balls with two sixes and 9 fours while Samarawickrama clobbering an unbeaten 69 off 51 balls with two sixes and 6 fours. The prolific Athapaththu fell after her fifty in the 12th over with 72 runs needs off 8 overs. 

But Samarawickrama guided the hosts home with Kavisha Dilhari (30 n.o., 16 balls, 1×4, 2×6) with their unbeaten third wicket partnership. Dilhari completed the win with her second six off Pooja Vastrakar with more than one over to spare.  

Chamari Athapaththu brings up her fifty off 33 balls! #GoLionesses #SLvIND #WomensAsiaCup2024 pic.twitter.com/n5HcFvYUx5

— Sri Lanka Cricket (@OfficialSLC) July 28, 2024

Earlier, Indian vice-captain and opener Mandhana defied the slow conditions at Dambulla, smashing an impressive half-century to power India to a fighting 165/6 against hosts Sri Lanka after batting first in the women’s Asia Cup 2024 final on Sunday. Mandhana scored 60 off 47 balls with 10 fours, Jemimah Rodrigues (29, 16 balls, 3×4, 1×6) and Richa Ghosh (30, 14 balls, 4×4, 1×6) led defending champions India’s fightback against the Lankan lineup of slow bowlers after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur decided to bat.  

In fact, the home side included only one pacer in their ranks – Udeshika Prabodhani and the rest were all spinners. The Lankan bowlers the most of a slow pitch as well, often strangling the otherwise free-flowing Indian batters.  

It was evident early on from the struggles of Shafali Verma (16, 19 balls), who found it difficult to time her shots. Mandhana had a massive slice of fortune early in the innings as her weak chip off spinner Kavisha Dilhari was put down at covers by Harshitha Samarawickrama.  

The left-hander made the hosts pay for that mistake with some gorgeous shots, especially against Prabodhani whom she carted for three fours in the sixth over as India reached 44 for no loss.  

But Shafali soon fell leg before to Dilhari after getting pinged on her pads while trying a tweak to the on-side. As the Power Play came to an end, Mandhana had to resort to some improvisations such as scoops behind the stumper to get her boundaries.  

The Indian vice-captain also often had to make room for herself or shuffle across the stumps to find the ropes because the ball was not exactly coming on to her bat.  

While Mandhana managed to beat the slowness of the deck, it consumed Harmanpreet and Uma Chetry, who got a promotion to No. 3. At 87 for three in the 12th over, India needed a move-on and it was given by an aggressive Rodrigues in the company of Mandhana, making 41 runs off 25 balls for the fourth wicket.  

However, the run out of Rodrigues and the dismissal of Mandhana pushed India to 133 for five in 16.5 overs. Ghosh played a typically blazing innings that contained a massive slog-swept six off Dilhari over the mid-wicket.