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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
- Harmanpreet Kaur 34 (27)
- Amanjot Kaur 5 (8)
Malki Madara to Harmanpreet Kaur, Kaur will feel she missed out! Pace off by Malki, on a back of a length, outside off. Harmanpreet waits for the ball to arrive and hammers it hard but picks out the extra cover fielder.
Malki Madara to Amanjot Kaur, Drags the length back, on off, Amanjot taps it to long on and gets to the other end.
Malki Madara to Amanjot Kaur, Full and outside off, Kaur plays it to point off the front foot.
Malki Madara to Harmanpreet Kaur, Angled into the pads, on a length, Harmanpreet nurdles it behind square on the leg side for one more.
Malki Madara to Amanjot Kaur, Good effort! Fuller and near the tramline, Amanjot attempts the drive and plays it well away from her body. Gets a thickish outside edge and the ball goes on the bounce to short third. The fielder dives to her right and parries it away to backward point. Just a single.
Malki Madara to Amanjot Kaur, This is a bit too wide on off, on a short of a length. Amanjot Kaur reaches out but the ball stays low and sneaks under the blade. It goes on the bounce to the keeper.
- Harmanpreet Kaur 33 (25)
- Amanjot Kaur 3 (4)
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Floated up, full and on off, Harmanpreet initially shapes up to force it through the off side but then checks her drive to cover.
Inoka Ranaweera to Amanjot Kaur, Quicker through the air, fractionally short, on middle, Kaur plays it with a straight bat to long on for one.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Slower and fuller, on leg, Harmanpreet wrists it through mid-wicket and turns the strike over.
Inoka Ranaweera to Amanjot Kaur, Slightly shorter, on middle, Amanjot presses on the back foot and pulls it through mid-wicket for a run.
Inoka Ranaweera to Amanjot Kaur, Darted in by Inoka, short and on off, Amanjot punches it to cover.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Short and a bit of turn, on off, Harmanpreet gets down the track and taps it to long off for one.
- Harmanpreet Kaur 31 (22)
- Amanjot Kaur 1 (1)
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, Full and going across, Harmanpreet Kaur uses her feet and ends up yorking herself. Digs it out to cover for a quick single.
Chamari Athapaththu to Amanjot Kaur, Offers flight, full and on middle, Amanjot pushes it down to long on for a single.
Amanjot Kaur joins Harmanpreet Kaur out in the middle now.
Chamari Athapaththu to Deepti Sharma, OUT! CAUGHT! Wickets off successive overs for Chamari Athapaththu. India have now lost half their side. Slower through the air, on the shorter side, outside off. Deepti gets down on a knee but the ball is not that full for the sweep and she is unable to get on top of the bounce. The ball spins away a bit to catch the top edge and it is ballooned towards short fine leg, where Nimasha Meepage does the rest.
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, A bit quicker, full and on middle, whipped to deep mid-wicket for one more.
Chamari Athapaththu to Deepti Sharma, Sliding on at the sticks, Deepti drives this full ball through point for a single.
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, Tossed up, on middle, Kaur steps out and flicks it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
DRINKS BREAK! Sri Lanka will be pleased with the way the game has gone so far. They have been pretty tight in terms of their lines and lengths and have reaped rewards. Harmanpreet Kaur has gotten off to a start and has looked busy. She will have to bat deep here for India to get up to a competitive total. This has not been the flattest surface, and it will be about assessing what a good score will be.
- Harmanpreet Kaur 28 (19)
- Deepti Sharma 6 (6)
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harmanpreet Kaur, Very full and on leg, Harman gets across to the off side and clips it to deep backward square leg for another single.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Deepti Sharma, Nice and full, aimed at the stumps, eased through mid on for a single.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Deepti Sharma, Just short of the fielder! Fuller in legth again, angled across off, Deepti Sharma plays away from the body and gets an outside edge that goes towards short third. The fielder over there dives in front but the ball bounces well short and goes behind her. The fielder at backward poinnt chases it down and she saves a couple of runs.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harmanpreet Kaur, Keeps the length full and bowls it around off, Kaur shows the full face of the blade and drives it firmly down to long on for a single.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harmanpreet Kaur, Wide! Rashmika misses her mark again to the right-hander. Length ball slanted down the leg side for a wide.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Deepti Sharma, Back of a length and around off, punched away off the back foot and to the right of sweeper cover for a single. The batters look for two but settle for the single.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Deepti Sharma, Slower ball, on a good length and another off. Sharma dabs it down gently towards short third.
- Deepti Sharma 2 (2)
- Harmanpreet Kaur 26 (17)
Chamari Athapaththu to Deepti Sharma, Tossed up, full and on off, Sharma pushes it out into the off side for a run.
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, On a length and around off, Kaur comes forward and smothers the length, punching it down to long on for one more.
Chamari Athapaththu to Deepti Sharma, On a fuller length and around off, sliding on, Deepti strokes it away wide of point and picks up a single.
Deepti Sharma walks in at number 6.
Chamari Athapaththu to Richa Ghosh, OUT! EDGED AND GONE! That is a sharp catch from the keeper and the Lankan skipper makes an immediate impact. Chamari Athapaththu makes good use of the angle and slides the ball across the off stump. Richa Ghosh hangs back and looks to cut late but does so very close to the body and ends up edging it behind. Kaushini Nuthyangana does well to pouch it just to her right and this is a big wicket for Sri Lanka Women.
Chamari Athapaththu to Harmanpreet Kaur, Keeps the length full and on middle, Harman comes forward and pushes it back past the bowler for one more.
Chamari Athapaththu to Richa Ghosh, Starts from around the wicket, does Chamari Athapaththu and bowls this one fuller on the pads. Ghosh clips it behind square on the leg side for a single.
- Harmanpreet Kaur 24 (15)
- Richa Ghosh 4 (4)
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, This is bowled flatter and on off stump, Kaur hangs back to defend.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! Sublime timing from Kaur. Flighted ball on off, Harmanpreet Kaur skips down the pitch and gets inside the line before pushing it gently to the left of mid on for another boundary.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Floated up, not all that full and around off, eased away to extra cover.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! Top shot. Full and wide outside off, Harman goes on one knee, reaches out and hammers the drive square on the off side for a boundary.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, Fuller and down the leg side, Kaur sits down to sweep but gets a tickle on it down to fine leg. Rashmika Sewwandi from inside the ring runs after it and manages to save a couple of runs.
Inoka Ranaweera to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! Easy pickings for the skipper and the 50 also comes up for India. Bowled well short and over middle and leg, Harmanpreet Kaur rocks back and has all the time in the world to smack the pull flat and behind square leg for a boundary.
- Richa Ghosh 4 (4)
- Harmanpreet Kaur 10 (9)
Rashmika Sewwandi to Richa Ghosh, Pitched full and outside off, this is driven away to mid off.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Richa Ghosh, FOUR! That is a comedy of errors in the field for Sri Lanka Women and eventually the ball rolls into the fence as well. Good-length delivery outside off, Richa Ghosh throws her hands at it but she slices it up and over the backward point region. Imesha Dulani runs after it and puts in the slide to pull it back in but ends up palming it onto the body and the ball rolls back towards the boundary ropes.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Richa Ghosh, Wide! Rashmika Sewwandi seems to have lost her line completely here. On a hard length, but this one lands on leg stump and angles down leg for a third consecutive wide.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Richa Ghosh, Wide! Fuller this time but slanted down leg again and Ghosh misses the flick as well.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Richa Ghosh, Wide! On a length again but drifted down the leg side by Rashmika.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Richa Ghosh, Nicely bowled. A leg cutter from Rashmika, on a length and around off. Ghosh looks to lean on and drive but gets beaten past the outside edge.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Richa Ghosh, Very full and around off, Richa Ghosh leans on and strokes it straight to mid off.
Richa Ghosh joins the skipper out in the middle.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harleen Deol, OUT! CASTLED! That's an excellent piece of bowling from Rashmika Sewwandi and India Women lose their 3rd wicket. Rashmika bowls it a bit slower again and fuller at the stumps. Gets the ball to dip and Harleen Deol plays completely over the ball as she looks to advance and flick it away. The ball brushes the inside edge before crashing into the stumps. Absolute delight for Rashmika.
Rashmika Sewwandi to Harmanpreet Kaur, Gentle-paced delivery, full and wide outside off, stylishly driven on one knee by Harman towards sweeper cover for a single.
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
