Mandhana, Shafali and Ghosh lead dominant India to Asian Games gold

India thrashed Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the Asian Games women's cricket competition final in Nisshin to win the country's first gold medal of the multi-sport event, with Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh and the bowling group starring in the dominant display. That made it back-to-back gold medals for India in the event after their triumph in 2023.

Mandhana and Shafali laid the foundation of the win for India with a 99-run opening stand after they opted to bat, with Mandhana finishing on 79 off 45 balls. Ghosh then provided the finishing touches, making 49 not out off 22 balls to power India to 216 for 3, the highest Asian Games innings total.

Sri Lanka couldn't get anywhere near India's firepower as they struggled against spin. Chamari Athapaththu fought with a 21-ball 29, but they folded for a paltry 69 - just two runs more than what India managed in their powerplay - to lose another final to India in the space of ten days after going down in the Asia Cup title contest.

The match unfolded similarly to that game in Dubai. Mandhana in particular was at her menacing best, starting off with two boundaries off Sugandika Kumari in the first over and then launching three sixes to different parts of the ground. She first rocked back to Sugandika's short delivery outside off and cleared mid-on with ease. Sugandika then went fuller and strayed onto the pads, allowing Mandhana to whip it over square leg for another six. And in the next over, she stepped down the track and carved Mithali Ayodhya over cover for her third six of the day.

Shafali then joined in the fun, taking Athapaththu for two sixes, pulling a short ball over deep midwicket before driving a floated delivery over mid-off. Mandhana rounded off the over by flat-batting a back-of-a-length delivery just beyond long-on for another six, much to Athapaththu's frustration. India were going at over 11 at that point, posting 67 for no loss at the end of the powerplay.

Fours and sixes came frequently with Mandhana continuing to be the more aggressive of the two, bringing up her fifty off 30 balls in the tenth over. Shafali survived a stumping scare in the same over but couldn't cash in on the chance as she top-edged a shot to Kawya Kavindi at short third off Chamudi Praboda for 48 off 29 balls.

Sri Lanka briefly managed to stem the flow of runs, conceding just one boundary in 19 balls, but that period did not last long. Harmanpreet Kaur and Mandhana started finding the gaps soon, though the India captain's stay did not last long as she departed for a 17-ball 19.

Ghosh walked out at No. 4 and helped India pick up the pace again, taking on Praboda for two boundaries while Mandhana continued to attack at the other end. Mandhana went on to clobber two more sixes before falling in an attempt to go big, miscuing a length delivery from Sugandika while looking to clear deep-backward square-leg.

With 200 in sight, Ghosh took charge as she helped India plunder 19 runs, including two fours and a six, off Kavindi's over before launching two more sixes off Ayodhya in the next, pulling a half-tracker over deep midwicket before moving across to club another full delivery over cow corner. Ayodhya also conceded five wides in the over. Ghosh capped the innings with another boundary as India finished on 216.

Sri Lanka were facing a daunting target, but it was not the brightest of starts for India on the field either. After Shreyanka Patil dropped a regulation catch off Imesha Dulani at backward point in the first over, Athapaththu looked in good touch as she scored two boundaries off Nandani Sharma in the second.

Harmanpreet then turned to India's go-to part-time spin option - Shafali - and she delivered instantly, deceiving Dulani in flight, with Ghosh completing the stumping. She claimed her second wicket in her next over, with a loopy delivery that Hasini Perera sliced to cover point.

Sri Lanka found boundaries against the faster bowlers but could barely keep up with the required run rate, moving to 41 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. India then turned to spin for the rest of the innings, and Sri Lanka's chase quickly unravelled.

Deepti Sharma ended their slim hopes when she had Athapaththu miscuing to long-off in the seventh over. Patil then had Harshitha Samarawickrama caught and bowled for a duck, before N Shree Charani dismissed Hansima Karunaratne for 1 after another miscued slog.

Deepti then added a second wicket when Kavisha Dilhari spooned a drive back to her, leaving Sri Lanka six down and in deep, deep trouble.

The result all but decided by then, and India continued to strike at regular intervals with Sri Lanka offering no resistance, barring a six and a four from Kaushini Nuthyanganam, whose wicket brought Sri Lanka's innings to an end in the 16th over. Deepti finished with figures of 3 for 6, while Shafali, Shree Charani and Patil bagged two each.