Melbourne: Spinner Radha Yadav tore apart the rival batting line up with a career-best four-wicket haul to help India restrict Sri Lanka to a modest 113 for nine in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match, here Saturday.
The left-arm spinner ran through the Sri Lankan batting line-up, claiming the prized scalp of skipper Chamari Atapattu, in the process.
Opting to bat, Sri Lanka were dealt an early blow when opener Umesha Thimashini (2) tried to go for a big shot off a Deepti Sharma delivery but was caught by Rajeshwari Gayakwad in the third over.
Skipper Atapattu (33), who has shined throughout the tournament, continued to attack, hitting five fours and a six. She stitched a 30-run partnership with Harshitha Madavi (12).
However, left-arm spinner Gayakwad tightened the screws in the eighth over, bowling a wicket maiden as she dismissed Madavi.
The introduction of Radha in the ninth over by India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur worked superbly as immediately after hitting a six over deep wicket the Sri Lankan captain was caught at square leg.
Sri Lanka then suffered a batting collapse as Radha accounted for Hansima Karunaratne (7) and Hasini Perera (7) in her next. She also dismissed wicket-keeper Anushka Sanjeewani (1).
Besides Radha, Gayakwad (2/18) picked up two wickets while Deepti, Shikha Pandey, and Poonam Yadav took one wicket each.
PTI