ICC Women's World Cup: India vs Sri Lanka — As it happened...

Chasing 233, Sri Lanka never looked in the contention as they lost their wickets at regular intervals. Earlier, winning the toss and electing to bat, Deepti Sharma (78) and skipper Mithali Raj (53) helped India post what turned out to be a decent total.

New Delhi: An all-round India beat Sri Lanka by 16 runs in a group stage match of the ICC Women`s World Cup at the County Cricket ground. Chasing 233, Sri Lanka never looked in the contention as they lost their wickets at regular intervals. Middle-order players -- Chamari Atapattu (25), Dilani Manodara (37) and Shashikala Siriwardene (61) -- however, displayed some good batting, but Indian bowlers soon overpowered them.

For India, Poonam Yadav and Jhulan Goswami took two wickets each. Earlier, winning the toss and electing to bat, Deepti Sharma (78) and skipper Mithali Raj (53) helped India post what turned out to be a decent 232/8.

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Over 50 | Score  216/7 | (Weerakkody 21; Ranasinghe 2)

India won the match by 16 runs, despite a sloppy display on the field. It's Mithali Raj & Co's fourth straight win. Sri Lanka did play full fifty overs, but they were always playing the chasing game.

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Over 45 | Score 179/6 | (Manodara 52; Weerakkody 2)

Good period of play for Sri Lanka. In the last five overs, they have scored 41 runs for the lose of two wickets. But India are still the favourites to win the match. Lanka need 54 runs from 30 balls, at just over 10.

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Over 40 | Score 138/4 | (Manodara 31*, Kanchana 2*)

Manodana, Sririwardena step out in search of quick runs as Jhulan Goswami is brought back in attack. The Lankans still need more than a boundary per over if they are to win this match.

HASD Siriwardene c Krishnamurthy b Goswami 37 (63b)

Over 35 | Score 98/3 | (Manodara 17*, Sririwardena 14*)

Sri Lanka need to accelerate the pace of runs as the required run rate cross 13 per over. Indians presently sitting on top and making the opposition struggle for boundaries.

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Over 31 | Score 82/3 | (Manodara 6*, Sririwardena 9*)

Another wicket for India! Brilliant work by the wicket keeper and Poonam has another wicket. 

MDN Hansika st Verma b Poonam Yadav 29 (66b)

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Over 22 | Score 69/2 | (Hansika 28*, Sririwardena 4)

The dangerous Athapaththu falls to a brilliant googly from Poonam. India get an upper hand in the match, only just, but need more of such dismissals to continue.

AC Jayangani b Poonam Yadav 25 (42b)

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Over 17 | Score 55/1 | (Hansika 19*, Athapaththu 24*)

Hansika takes the silent role as Athapaththu gets going! Contrasting innings from the Sri Lankan duo as Indians opt for an all-spin attack in search of wickets.

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Over 12 | Score 32/1 | (Hansika 16*, Athapaththu 4*)

Just 4 runs in this phase as Indian bowlers refuse to leak runs. Lankans do not look much bothered and continue to progress with ease.

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Over 8 | Score 28/1 | (Hansika 14*, Athapaththu 2)

Jhulan Goswami draws first blood as India claim first wicket of the innings. 

GWHM Perera c Mandhana b Goswami 10 (15b)

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Over 4 | Score 17/0 | (Hansika 5*, Perera 10*)

Comfortable beginning for the Lankans! Hansika and Perera not taking too many chances, just dealing with every delivery individually.

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Over 50 | Score 232/8 | (Verma 11*, Bisht 0*)

That's the end of Indian innings and although they would have wanted to go past the 250-run mark at the start of the tournament, 232 isn't a bad total either. If the Indian bowlers perform to their usual potential, there shouldn't be a problem for them in defending this total.

M Joshi run out 2 (2b)

V Krishnamurthy c Gunaratne b SS Weerakkody 29 (33b)

H Kaur c Ranasinghe b SS Weerakkody 20 (22b)

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Over 48 | Score 219/5 | (Kirshnamurthy 29*, Kaur 20*)

Two dropped catches i the 48th over give India much-needed lifelines in pursuit of a high score. 2 overs more to go, but can the Indian eves get to 240?

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Over 45 | Score 192/5 | (Kirshnamurthy 13*, Kaur 10*)

India progressing at a rate of just over 4, as Krishnamurthy and Kaur look to rotate strike for a few overs and then look to accelerate the run rate to possibly finish on a high. The end of the 45th over also ended Team India's long wait for a boundary.

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Over 41 | Score 174/5 | (Kirshnamurthy 3*, Kaur 2*)

Ranaweera removes both Goswami and Mithali to send half of the Indian line-up back to pavilion. Anything under 220 would be a positive for the Lankans but Indian would have to bat carefully from here on to reach probably a 230-240.

M Raj lbw b Ranaweera 53 (78b)
J Goswami c Jayangani b Ranaweera 9 (9b)

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Over 38 | Score 162/3 | (Goswami 3*, Mithali 52*)

Mithali Raj notched up her 48th ODI fifty. Deepti continued displaying her batting prowess but was sent packing in the 37th over. Holed the shorter delivery straight to Ranaweera at mid-off. And a surprise entrant, it was Jhulan Goswami who walked in as the next batsman.  

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Over 35 | Score 141/2 | (Deepti 66*, Mithali 47*)

Change in bowling as Kanchana Ama stepped in for her first over. The duo continued to pile up pressure on the Lankans. They stitched a phenomenal 100-run stand which is also the third in this campaign.  

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Over 32 | Score 123/2 | (Deepti 57*, Mithali 38*)

Ranaweera in for her fourth over. Deepti Sharma notched up yet another ODI fifty. Four off the over.

Gunaratne in for her eight. Deepti continued with her batting prowess as she struck a hard-hitting boundary off the second delivery. Shimmied out to loft it inches past mid-on for the four. Six off the over.

Ranaweera for her sixth. Five singles off the six deliveries bowled.

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Over 29 | Score 108/2 | (Deepti 49*, Mithali 31*)

Ranasinghe for her third over. Fourth delivery, fuller, outside off as Deepti shimmied out to ramp it straight over the bowler for a boundary. Eight runs off the over.

Ranaweera back for her fourth over. Single off the second delivery and India reached the 100-run mark. Five off the over.

Gunaratne back after her impressive spell earlier. Four singles off it

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Over 26 | Score 91/2 | (Deepti 37*, Mithali 26*)

Siriwardene continued into her sixth over. Three off the over. Ranasinghe in for her second over. Five singles off the over.

Siriwardene for her seventh. Just three singles off it  

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Over 23 | Score 80/2 | (Deepti 34*, Mithali 18*)

Ranaweera continued into her third over as Mithali rocked back to punch the first delivery down cover. Wide, outside off as Raj utilised the width to play the punch. Six of the over. Offie Siriwardene gifted just two runs in the next over.
Misfield as Mithali Raj got another boundary to her name. Spun in, as Raj shifting pressure onto his backfoot pushed it down mid-on, but the buttery fingers of the fielder there failed to grasp it. Deepti notched up a boundary too.  

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Over 20 | Score 63/2 | (Deepti 28*, Mithali 7*)

India lost both openers in their aim to make four-for-four in their Women's World Cup campaign. Skipper Mithali Raj stepped in to resurrect India's innings.  

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Over 10 | Score 37/1 | (Deepti 10*, Punam 16*)

Indian eves continued with their slow innings, looking to settle in. In the next three overs, the duo notch up mere nine runs.  

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Over 7 | Score 21/0 | (Smriti 8*, Punam 12*)

Sri Lankans struck early and dismissed the dangerous Smriti Mandhana. The left-hander was looking to work away a ball from Chandima Gunaratne but mistimed it towards mid-off where Siriwardene held on to a good low catch. Deepti Sharma is the next batswoman at the crease.

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Over 5 | Score 21/0 | (Smriti 8*, Punam 12*)

India have made a decent start. Both Smriti and Punam are looking to see through the first few overs. Sri Lankans, on the other hand, have created some pressure with a disciplined bowling effort so far.

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TOSS: Mithali Raj won the toss and opted to bat first.

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Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana have been in fine form with the willow so far and they would be expected to carry their form to seal the semi-final spot for Women in Blue.

If there's anything called momentum in cricket, it is with the Indian team at the moment.

"We definitely will look into the fact that we don't lose wickets back-to-back because that puts a lot of pressure on the incoming batters as well as the team. We need to work on our partnerships as batters," Indian skipper Mithali Raj said.

"In terms of bowling, the spinners have been doing well, (against Pakistan) the pacers looked better than the last two games so it depends which wicket we play on against Sri Lanka.

India made a dream start to the tournament by stunning hosts England by 35 runs before trouncing West Indies by seven wickets in their next encounter, while their 95-run win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the last match has only helped them grow in confidence.

Having six points from three games, India are at the top of the table.

(With PTI inputs)