India vs Sri Lanka: Amanjot-Deepti Rescue Act Halts Sri Lankan Charge in World Cup Opener
The Women’s World Cup 2025 began with a dramatic opening encounter at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, where Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and elected to bowl first against co-hosts India. Both teams, still seeking their maiden ICC title, were eager for a strong start to the tournament.
Toss and Team News
Sri Lanka, returning to the global stage after missing the 2022 edition, aimed to utilize conditions they hoped would favour bowling. Athapaththu, potentially playing her final ODI World Cup, expressed confidence in her unit, noting, “It’s a good batting track but there could be some dew later on. We are going with seven batters.” The Indian side, labelled as tournament favourites on home turf, came prepared for a spin battle. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur confirmed a spin-heavy attack, opting for three spinners and two pacers. Though Kaur also preferred to bowl first, she stated, “The pitch looks very good—hopefully, we will put up a good score.”
India’s Rescue Mission
After an unsteady start, the Indian innings was rescued by a resilient 103-run partnership between the experienced Deepti Sharma and the young sensation Amanjot Kaur. This critical stand resurrected India’s total after a middle-order wobble had left the team in a precarious position.
Kaur, playing in her first World Cup, demonstrated remarkable composure to notch her maiden ODI half-century, reaching the milestone with a crucial two runs in the 40th over. Her gritty effort, however, ended shortly after, in the 43rd over. Pacer Udeshika Prabodhani claimed the crucial wicket, as Kaur (57 off 56 balls) mistimed a slog-sweep towards deep mid-wicket. Vishmi Gunarathne took a sensational, tumbling catch right on the boundary cushions to send Kaur back and finally break the century partnership.
Deepti Sharma’s Fight and Final Flourish
Despite the loss of her partner, Deepti Sharma (49 not out off 49 balls) continued her superb fightback. In the same over that saw Kaur dismissed, Sharma brought up her fighting half-century, a vital contribution that ensured India kept their scoring rate up in the final overs.
The match, which had already seen a stop-start nature, faced further disruptions. Just past the 42-over mark, a drizzle began, forcing the umpires to bring on the covers. The delay turned out to be a passing shower, and good news soon followed: the game was reduced to a 47-overs-per-side contest, with play resuming quickly.
Innings Close
As the innings entered its concluding stages, India was placed at 243 for 7 at the end of 45.5 overs when the final recorded update was made. With Deepti Sharma holding firm, supported briefly by Sneh Rana, India managed to maximize the remaining deliveries in the revised over limit. Rana, too, contributed with a boundary off Prabodhani, capitalizing on a missed yorker.
The Sri Lankan bowling effort was spearheaded by a stellar spell from spinner Inoka Ranaweera, who finished her spell having claimed a four-wicket haul that was instrumental in destabilizing India’s top and middle order. Despite the late flourish, India will feel they have a competitive total to defend, thanks entirely to the brilliant counter-attacking partnership between Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma.
