Posted On Wednesday, February 06, 2013 at 10:02:40 AM
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SL’s Eshani Kaushalya smashed 56 runs against India at Mumbai yesterday
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As the floodlights got brighter, India's ambitions of making it to the Super Six of the ICC Women's World Cup on home soil disappeared into the shadows at Brabourne Stadium yesterday.
But the indefatigable support from the home crowd made it a night to remember for the Indian women. With the majority of the ground empty these couple of hundred supporters, all stacked at one end of the stadium, kept their drums beating and their spirits high as if to make up for the empty stands. They cheered every run India scored as if it were the winning run.
They kept believing, hoping against hope right until, the impending feeling of doom filled the stadium with an eerie silence. There was no miracle. All that India got was a wooden spoon clash with eternal rivals Pakistan in Cuttack scheduled for Thursday. It was always going to be difficult for the hosts once Sri Lanka set them a target of 283 runs, considering that India has crossed the 200 mark only seven times in World Cups, with 284 being their best score ever.
But England's 6-wicket thrashing of West Indies earlier in the day, gave India the incentive of qualifying on run rate at the cost of WI if they managed to score at least 251 runs. But India fell 107 runs short of that mark as well.
India were bowled out for 144 in their first ever loss to Lanka in the history of the tournament. Skipper Mithali Raj and Thirush Kamini tried to build a partnership after losing Poonam Raut (5) leg before wicket to Eshani Kaushalya in the third over. But Raj misjudged an Udeshika Prabodhani delivery and was caught plumb in front of the stumps for 20.
By the 22nd over India were reeling at 69/5 with India's only centurions in the tournament this year Kamini (22) and Harmanpreet Kaur (0) back in the pavilion along with Karuna Jain.
Kamini was caught behind by Surangika after she nicked a wide Sripali Weerakkody delivery. Kaur was caught by Chamari Jayangani off Chamani Seneviratna at backward point and Jain was bowled by Inoka Ranaweera for 8. Reema Malhotra and Jhulan Goswami fought on bravely but Goswami scooped the ball to Ranaweera off Sandamali Dolawatte in the 31st over.
Reema did not let hope die easy, buy after she was run out for 38 with India needing 107 runs off 81 balls all hope was surely lost. India's lower order were bundled out for just 15 runs.
Earlier, Lanka had won the toss and elected to bat and India came firing off the blocks with a wicket in the very first over. After being hit for a boundary off the very first ball of the innings, Jhulan Goswami got her revenge when Chamari Jayangani nicked one to Mithali Raj at first slip.
But the Lankans dug deep and did not allow India to build on that start. Yasoda Mendis and Deepika Rasangika put India to the sword with a battling 117-run partnership for the second wicket. In the 25th over, Mendis departed for 55 runs (8x4) after her mishit shot off Amita Sharma's bowling was cleaned up by Gouher Sultana at mid on. India must have thought that the worst had passed, but Shashikala Siriwardene came in and picked up from where Mendis had left.
Sirwardene and Rasangika put up a 67-run partnership for the third wicket, before Rasangika was dismissed for 84 (11x4) when she mishit a Goswami delivery straight to Raj at extra cover in the 40th over.
Siriwardene was then run out by a direct hit from Reema Malhotra while trying to steal a run at mid on. Siriwardene was dismissed for 59 (6x4) in the 47th over with 246 on board. Eshani Kaushalya carried on the fight with a lighning 31-ball 56.
She helped the Lankans score a massive 35 runs off the last three overs. Her knock consisted six boundaries and three sixes. Goswami was the pick of the Indian bowlers with three wickets.
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03:37:55 PM