Shattered dreams: India women fail to seal Super Six spot after 138-run loss to Lanka
India were on Tuesday knocked out of the ICC Women's World Cup after suffering a 138-run drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka in a crucial Group A encounter in Mumbai.
Chasing a challenging total of 283, the hosts put up a poor show to be bowled out for 144 in 42.2 overs at the Brabourne Stadium.
This was India's first defeat to Sri Lanka in 18 matches, as they won their previous 16 encounters and one ended with no result.
Sri Lankan players celebrate the dismissal of India's batswoman Harmanpreet Kaur
India lost three wickets for 38 runs in the 13th over, which included opener Poonam Raut, skipper Mithali Raj and last match centurion Harmanpreet Kaur.
Kaur failed to score a run, while Raut (5), Raj (20) were trapped leg before by Eshani Kaushalya and Udeshika Prabodhini, respectively.
The India skipper shone briefly with the bat, striking four fours in the 35 minutes she spent in the middle.
The hosts reached 50 in 17 overs and it was always going to be an uphill task from there on. They lost left-handed opener Thirushkamini Murugesan at the same score, adding to the woes.
The middle-order failed to forge a partnership and things plummeted for India as they kept losing wickets in quick succession. India's best partnership was for the sixth wicket between Jhulan Goswami and Reema Malhotra, who added 37 runs.
Malhotra was the top scorer for India with her 38 off 51 balls, which included two fours. Sri Lankan skipper Shashikala Siriwardene and Chamani Seneviratne bagged two wickets each.
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India needed at least 251 runs to edge out the West Indies by virtue of having a better net run-rate and enter the Super 6 stage. Earlier, Sri Lanka's batting fired in unison as they posted a competitive 282 for five.
Deepika Rasangika led the way with a knock of 84 while Kaushalya provided the late impetus with a breezy, unbeaten 31-ball 56 to propel the visitors. Yashoda Mendis (55) and Shashikala Siriwardene (56) were the other contributors for Sri Lanka.
But it was the match winner against England, Kaushalya, whose blinder of a knock lifted the Lankans. Her innings was studded with six fours and three sixes.
Opting to bat, Sri Lanka lost their first wicket in the first over itself, when left-hander Chamari Athapathu was caught at first slip by Raj off pacer Goswami. But Mendis and one-down batsman Rasangika stabilised the innings and scored runs at a quick rate. The duo forged a 117-run stand for the second wicket in 140 balls, before Mendis was caught by Gouher Sultana at mid-on off the bowling of Amita Sharma.
For India, former skipper Jhulan Goswami bagged three wickets for 63 runs in her 10 overs.
In other matches, defending champions England entered the Super Six stage after defeating the West Indies by six wickets.
In Cuttack, South Africa defeated Pakistan by 126 runs to enter the Super Six.
Australia also recorded a comfortable seven-wicket victory over New Zealand.
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