Ruthless India knock Sri Lanka out of contention

Women's T20 World Cup, Group A, Dubai

India 172-3 (20 overs): Kaur 52* (27), Mandhana 50 (38)

Sri Lanka 90 (19.5 overs): Arundhati 3-19, Sobhana 3-19

India won by 82 runs

Scorecard. Table

India produced a stunning all-round performance to boost their semi-final hopes and knock Sri Lanka out of the Women's T20 World Cup.

Set an imposing 173 to win in Dubai, Sri Lanka slumped to 6-3 and then crawled to 90 all out in 19.5 overs as India secured a ruthless 82-run victory.

Opener Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur struck fine half-centuries as India posted 172-3 - the highest team total of the tournament so far.

Kaur was dropped on 22 and brutally punished a weary Sri Lanka, finishing unbeaten on 52 from 27 balls.

The match-winning total was set up by Smriti's 36-ball fifty in a chanceless opening stand of 98 with Shafali Verma, who made 43.

Sri Lanka's slim hopes of victory lay on the shoulders of star all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu, but they suffered a horror start with the captain falling for just one after fellow opener Vishmi Gunaratne was brilliantly caught by Radha Yadav from the second ball of the chase.

India continued to thoroughly outclass their opponents in all aspects of the game, bowling with relentless discipline and taking every opportunity in the field as leg-spinner Asha Sobhana and all-rounder Arundhati Reddy both claimed 3-19.

India are up to second in Group A and their margin of victory also boosts their net run-rate after an opening heavy defeat by New Zealand, but they still have defending champions Australia to play on Sunday as they seek a top-two finish.

Winless Sri Lanka remain bottom and will hope to end their campaign on a high when they face New Zealand on Saturday.

Third time a charm for India

A collapse to 102 all out against New Zealand and then an unconvincing chase of just 105 against Pakistan had caused some concern about India’s batting line-up, which possesses plenty of power but had struggled to adapt to sluggish pitches.

But on an improved surface, where South Africa had hit 166 just hours earlier, the intimidating India top three finally made their mark.

Classy left-hander Mandhana had made scores of 12 and seven in the first two games and made a scratchy start to her knock against Sri Lanka.

But Verma took the pressure off her with positive intent, using her feet effectively to the spinners as she targeted them down the ground and Mandhana soon followed suit, timing the ball exquisitely, with four fours and a six in her knock.

The pair fell to consecutive deliveries, with Mandhana run out by Ama Kanchana and a tired-looking Verma slicing the ball softly to cover, but Jemimah Rodrigues and Kaur were unfazed.

Rodrigues was also dropped on 13 and while that did not prove too costly, Kaur ensured that she would capitalise on her reprieve after Inoka Ranaweera put down the chance at cover.

Kaur targeted the spinners with the sweep and anything overpitched was drilled straight, with so little margin for error against her fast hands and elegant footwork.

It was a huge ask for a Sri Lanka line-up whose previous totals were just 85 and 93, and scores of 21 from Dilhari and 20 from Anushka Sanjeewani were the only contributions of note as they exited the tournament with a whimper.

In previous World Cups, India have cruised group stages before crumbling under pressure in knockouts, but this was a brutally dominant performance to suggest they could be peaking just in time.

'India were electric' - reaction

India captain, and player of the match, Harmanpreet Kaur: "It was one of the days when I was in my zone and I just wanted to be there for the team."

England bowler Tash Farrant on BBC Test Match Special: “The fielding of the Indian side was electric - it seemed better, along with their attitude.

“They took some stick after their first couple of games, but they have turned it around.”

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu: "We were struggling and dropped a few catches. The batters did not do the job, including myself."