By Shivani P Menon
The defending Champions Sri Lanka will take on India at the final match of the Women’s Asia Cup, which will be played on Sunday.
This will be the third time that both sides will face each other in the final match of the Asia Cup.
The Indian team defeated Sri Lankan team in 2022, however, Sri Lanka managed to win their first ever trophy of the tournament by defeating India by eight wickets in 2024.
The Indian side has dominated this tournament till now because of their opening pair. Shafali Verma has made 168 runs in the tournament so far and Smriti Mandhana has scored 154 runs. They both have scored at over 169 run rate, providing India with a good start in the powerplay phase. Both have batted at over 169.
But Sri Lanka has a particular weapon that could make life difficult for India’s right-hand-heavy batting order. Left-arm spinners Sugandika Praboda are expected to play an important role in the final.
The contest became particularly crucial during the middle overs where Sri Lanka would aim at slowing down the India scoring rate and forcing them to make some bold moves against spinners. For India, the task is to maintain an uninterrupted flow of runs without letting the bowlers get into the groove.
Sri Lanka would be heartened by their performances as they would aim to bank upon the championship that they won at home in 2024. Captain Chamari Athapaththu still plays an important role in their side, while Harishith Samarawickrama provides them with yet another experienced batter.
India, on the other hand, would aim to lift the championship once again after being defeated two years back. With both teams unbeaten in the current tournament, the contest could ultimately be decided by which side handles the pressure and the spin – better.