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- India vs Sri Lanka Live Score, 5th Women's T20I: India wrap up 5-0 clean sweep as Sri Lanka crumble under pressure
India vs Sri Lanka Live Score, 5th Women's T20I: India wrap up 5-0 clean sweep as Sri Lanka crumble under pressure
The batters played with freedom, boundaries came in clusters, and the bowlers applied constant pressure. On paper, it was a flawless series. On the field, however, a familiar weakness resurfaced — sloppy fielding.
Despite controlling every major moment, India repeatedly let themselves down in the basics. These were not difficult chances or athletic dives gone wrong. They were regulation catches that should be taken every time at international level. In the fourth T20I, Smriti Mandhana dropped a simple catch at long-on after a mistimed shot ballooned into her hands.
Soon after, Deepti Sharma spilled another straightforward chance, allowing the ball to trickle away for four instead of ending the over with a dot or wicket.
Such moments were not isolated. India dropped five catches in the series opener in Visakhapatnam, three of them straightforward. The pattern continued through the series, with missed chances punctuating otherwise dominant performances. That these errors did not change results is both reassuring and concerning. India’s depth in batting and discipline with the ball ensured Sri Lanka never capitalised, but repeated mistakes risk becoming habits when they go unpunished.
Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh tried to put things in perspective after the fourth T20I.
“We had an off day in the field. It’s understandable, but everyone in this team is working really hard on their fielding drills. I won’t say anything about the fielding for this one game,” she said.
Head coach Amol Muzumdar will likely see this series as a reminder that dominance alone is not enough. India’s batting looks fearless and the bowling unit increasingly sharp, but fielding remains the missing piece. At the highest level, matches and tournaments are decided by moments — sharp catches, quick stops and saved runs.
With the T20 World Cup just six months away, India have time to address the issue. Sri Lanka were forgiving. Stronger opponents will not be.
SLW vs INDW Squads:
Sri Lanka Women Squad: Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu(c), Imesha Dulani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Rashmika Sewwandi, Kaushani Nuthyangana(w), Malsha Shehani, Kawya Kavindi, Nimasha Madushani, Malki Madara, Shashini Gimhani, Vishmi Gunaratne, Inoka Ranaweera
India Women Squad: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh(w), Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Vaishnavi Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shree Charani, Jemimah Rodrigues, G Kamalini, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana
A strong finish to cap off an excellent recovery from India. They were 79/5 at the end of 11 overs, but the next 9 overs saw them score 96 runs. Sri Lanka will walk back with a bit of disappointment, having let the home side off the hook. Having won the toss, Chamari Athapaththu opted to make first use of a fresh surface. By dismissing Shafali Verma in the second over, the visiting side was able to deny India the brisk start they had grown accustomed to in the series.
- Sneh Rana 8 (6)
- Arundhati Reddy 27 (11)
Malki Madara to Sneh Rana, A dot to finish but 20 runs come off the final over. Full and straight, tails back into the legs. Sneh Rana comes forward to flick but misses and gets struck on the pads. There is an appeal for LBW but it is turned down and Sri Lanka Women don't take the review either. India Women finish with 175/7 on the board!
Malki Madara to Arundhati Reddy, Just a single this time. Full and around off, Reddy walks past the off stump ad heaves it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
Malki Madara to Arundhati Reddy, FOUR! Reddy's night out and she is really having a ball out there with the bat in hand. Full and wide outside off, almost a perfect wide yorker but Arundhati Reddy shuffles to the off side and slices it with an angled bat wide of short third for a boundary.
Malki Madara to Arundhati Reddy, FOUR! This is carnage from Reddy! A low full toss at the toes, Arundhati Reddy advances and hits it flat and hard over the bowler's head for a boundary.
Malki Madara to Arundhati Reddy, SIX! All the way! Slightly short and down the leg side, Arundhati Reddy makes room early and adjusts before picking it over deep square leg for a biggie.
Malki Madara to Arundhati Reddy, Wide! Slower ball, drifted down the leg side. Reddy looks to sweep but misses.
Malki Madara to Arundhati Reddy, FOUR! That's a clean strike from Reddy. Overpitched and around middle, Arundhati Reddy sees the mid off fielder inside the ring and backs away early before lifting it stylishly over mid off for a boundary.
Final over left then. Sri Lanka have been penalised for being behind on the over rate. They will be allowed 3 fielders outside the 30-yard circle instead of 4 for the last over. It will be Malki Madara to bowl. She has been wicketless so far and gone for 17 runs in her 3 overs.
- Arundhati Reddy 8 (6)
- Sneh Rana 8 (5)
Rashmika Sewwandi to Arundhati Reddy, Hard length at the stumps, hit away towards deep square leg for a single. 12 off the over.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Arundhati Reddy, FOUR! That's nicely struck. Back of a length and around off, Arundhati Reddy waits for it on the back foot and slogs it away towards cow corner and beats the chasing deep mid-wicket fielder to her left to pick up a boundary.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Arundhati Reddy, Full and in the blockhole around off, Arundhati Reddy backs away to go over the off side but fails to get it away.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Sneh Rana, Good length on off, Rana steps out to go big but mistimes it badly and in front of mid off for a single. The 150 also comes up for India.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Sneh Rana, Sloppy work in the outfield and Sneh Rana cheekily completes the second run as well. On a hard length angling down leg, Rana tickles it off the gloves towards short fine leg where the fielder fumbles it a bit further behind and concedes an extra run.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Sneh Rana, FOUR! Length ball, wide outside off, Sneh Rana goes after the width on offer and hammers it over the cover region for a boundary.
- Sneh Rana 1 (2)
- Arundhati Reddy 3 (3)
Kavisha Dilhari to Sneh Rana, Quicker one again, a bit fuller and around off, this is swatted away to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Kavisha Dilhari to Sneh Rana, Beaten! Quick and flat, angled across off, Sneh Rana hangs back and looks to pull but is well beaten.
Sneh Rana makes her way out to the centre.
Kavisha Dilhari to Harmanpreet Kaur, OUT! TIMBER! Kavisha Dilhari gets the big fish. Dilhari stays around the wicket and fires in a quicker delivery on off and middle. Harmanpreet Kaur shuffles to the off side and looks to shovel it away behind square on the leg side but the ball doesn't bounce much. It stays low and nutmegs the batter, flicking the thigh and goes on to hit the stumps. Ends of a fine knock from Harmanpreet Kaur as she departs for 68 (43).
Kavisha Dilhari to Arundhati Reddy, Tossed up around off, Arundhati Reddy fetches the ball and drags the slog sweep over the mid-wicket region for a single.
Kavisha Dilhari to Harmanpreet Kaur, Shorter again, on middle and leg, pulled away to deep square leg for one more.
Kavisha Dilhari to Arundhati Reddy, Dragged short and angled across off, Reddy hangs back and gets into an awkward position. The ball takes an inside edge and hits the keeper's pads, rolling down to fine leg for a single.
- Arundhati Reddy 1 (1)
- Harmanpreet Kaur 67 (41)
Rashmika Sewwandi to Arundhati Reddy, Good-length delivery on middle, punched away down to long on for a sigle.
Arundhati Reddy is in next.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Amanjot Kaur, OUT! CAUGHT! Finally, some respite for Sri Lanka Women and Rashmika Sewwandi gets her second wicket of the game. Rashmika bowls it on a good length again but just bowls it a couple of inches shorter around middle. Amanjot Kaur looks to repeat the trick from the previous delivery but gets this one high on the bat. The ball sails down to long on where Kavisha Dilhari takes a good catch under pressure.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Amanjot Kaur, SIX! BANG! A bit fuller in length and at the stumps, Amanjot Kaur backs away slightly and heaves it wide to the right of long on for a six.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harmanpreet Kaur, Length ball on the pads, tucked away neatly behind square on the leg side for a single.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harmanpreet Kaur, Wide! Full and angled down leg, Kaur looks to flick but misses. Too many wides in this spell from Rashmika.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! Up and away! On a hard length and outside off, Harmanpreet Kaur stays back and just lays into the shot, lofting it high and well over extra cover for a boundary.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harmanpreet Kaur, Wide! Good length again but angled down the leg side. Harman looks to pull but misses.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Amanjot Kaur, Good-length delivery around middle, Amanjot Kaur shows the full face of the blade and punches it down to the left of long on for a single.
- Amanjot Kaur 14 (15)
- Harmanpreet Kaur 62 (39)
Inoka Ranaweera to Amanjot Kaur, Nice and full, outside off, this is driven through covers for a single.
Inoka Ranaweera to Amanjot Kaur, On the pads, swept away behind square leg. The batters look for one but decide against it.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Bowled flatter and around off, Kaur steps out again to go big but can't get under the ball and hits it to long off for a single.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, NO BALL AND FOUR! Stellar placement from Harman and to make things worse for Sri Lanka, Inoka Ranaweera has overstepped. Tossed up on the stumps, Harmanpreet Kaur comes down the pitch and flicks it away between long on and deep mid-wicket for a boundary. Free Hit loading...
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, SIX! The floodgates seem to have opened for Harmanpreet Kaur and she brings up the first maximum of this Indian innings. On a dragged length again, Harman comes down the track, holds her shape and whacks it straight back down the ground for a 76-meter biggie.
Inoka Ranaweera to Amanjot Kaur, On a dragged length around off, Amanjot Kaur comes down the pitch and eases it down to long off for one more.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Full and angled into the pads, Kaur whips it away to deep mid-wicket and picks up a single.
- Harmanpreet Kaur 50 (35)
- Amanjot Kaur 12 (12)
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, FIFTY for Harmanpreet Kaur! She has stood tall for her side in the face of wickets falling around her. Tossed up by Chamari, on middle, Harmanpreet is down the track again and she pushes it to long on for a single. 15th T20I half-century for the Indian skipper.
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries! Full and running across from around the wicket. Kaur uses her feet again and glides it with an open bat face between short third and backward point for four more.
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! A loose ball and Harmanpreet Kaur puts it away! Chamari tries to give the ball air but ends up serving a thigh-high full toss, on middle. Harmanpreet shimmies down the deck and clubs it to the right of deep mid-wicket for a four.
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, Short and on off, Kaur guides it to backward point.
Chamari Athapaththu to Amanjot Kaur, PUT DOWN! A tough chance goes down. Fired in, fuller and on middle. Amanjot Kaur backs away to go back over the bowler's head. It was hit hard by Kaur and Chamari Athapaththu stuck out her right hand but the ball clipped her fingertips and went behind to long on for one. 100 comes up for India!
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, Going across the batter, Harmanpreet skips down the track and smears it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
- Harmanpreet Kaur 40 (30)
- Amanjot Kaur 11 (11)
Nimasha Meepage to Harmanpreet Kaur, On middle, on the shorter side, Harmanpreet steps out and knocks it to long on for one.
Nimasha Meepage to Amanjot Kaur, Keeps it short, on off, Amanjot pushes it to long on and picks up a single.
Nimasha Meepage to Harmanpreet Kaur, Tap and run! On a nagging length, on off and middle. Harmanpreet drops it with soft hands in front of cover for a quick single. There is a direct hit at the batting end but Amanjot is home. The ball deflects away towards deep square leg but the batters did not seem aware about the opportunity of sneaking in an overthrow.
Nimasha Meepage to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! In the gap! Too short by Nimasha, on middle and leg, Harmanpreet advances down the track and pulls it between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg for a boundary.
Nimasha Meepage to Amanjot Kaur, Sliding on with the arm, attacking the stumps. Kaur backs away slightly to drive it through the off side but miscues it off the inner half of the blade to long on for one.
Nimasha Meepage to Amanjot Kaur, FOUR! Nicely done! Floated up, full and around off, Amanjot Kaur gets a good stride in and stays low to loft it over mid off for a boundary.
However, beneath the emphatic scorelines lay a recurring concern: poor fielding. Despite controlling matches, India repeatedly faltered in basic catching and ground work, allowing simple chances to slip through.
Several regulation catches were dropped across the series, including glaring errors in the fourth T20I by senior players. Five catches went down in the series opener alone, setting a trend that continued throughout. While these mistakes did not affect the results due to India’s superior batting depth and disciplined bowling, they raised questions about urgency and standards.
Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh acknowledged the lapse, calling it an off day while stressing the team’s ongoing efforts to improve. Head coach Amol Muzumdar will view the series as one of dominance mixed with lessons.
As India look ahead to tougher opposition and the upcoming T20 World Cup, sharpening fielding standards will be crucial. Against stronger teams, such errors could prove costly.
Match Statistics
Venue
Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
