Last Update: January 22, 2023, 20:54 IST
Parshvi Chopra was declared player of the match. (pic credit: icc)
An excellent bowling performance saw India restrict Sri Lanka to 59/9
Parshvi Chopra’s brilliant spell of leg spin bowling led India Beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in their second Super Six match in the first match of the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Potchefstroom. He displayed strong fighting and bounceback ability after the loss against Australia the day before.
India knew they had to beat Sri Lanka comprehensively as they looked to reach the semi-finals in the tournament. Chopra played a spell of accuracy and deception, taking four wickets for just 5 runs in his spell of four brilliant overs, which included a maiden.
Among them was the crucial wicket of Sri Lankan captain Wismi Gunaratne, who was bowled while running from the wicket. She played for conventional leg-spin, but Chopra worked a googly, and the ball slipped past Gunaratne and hit the off-stump.
Parshvi Chopra of India poses with the LOC government and stakeholder manager Max Jordan after being named player of the match after the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2023 Super 6 match between India and Sri Lanka at JB Marks Oval.
At that point, the Sri Lankan skipper was playing a good 25 (28 balls with two fours) while the rest of her side crumbled around her after being bowled by India. Chopra’s decisive spell saw Sri Lanka eventually reduced to 59 for nine in their allotted 20 overs, with only Umaya Ratnayake (13 from 36 balls) reaching double figures with the bat.
India’s determination to return immediately was evident from how stingy they were; Only one wide was given in the column of extras. Mannat Kashyap took two wickets for 16 runs, while Tita Sadhu started the collapse by taking a wicket on the very first ball of the day.
The chase from India was equally determined. In their post-match interview, the captain, Shafali Verma admitted that the team had set themselves a target of eight overs to reach victory and they did just that. She hit a six and a four in her 10-ball 15, while in-form Shweta Sehrawat fell for 13 just as she was getting into her stride. Richa Ghosh hit the fence with her first ball, and was caught on the next ball by Dumy Wijerathne after taking three wickets.
Sri Lanka could do nothing to stop the free-scoring Soumya Tiwary, who hit five fours in his unbeaten 28 off just 15 deliveries. She turned anything loose as India improved their net run-rate considerably, reaching their target after just 7.2 overs.
India now face a nervous wait to see what else happens in their Super Six group. They have six points, while Australia and Bangladesh have four each. Both those sides still have one last match – both facing the United Arab Emirates – and net run-rate will become a deciding factor if they both emerge victorious.
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