India and Sri Lanka will meet for another continental title on Tuesday, September 22, when the two sides clash in the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan.
The encounter comes just nine days after the teams faced each other in the Asia Cup final in Dubai. India, the defending Asian Games champion, will be aiming to continue its dominant record against Sri Lanka and secure another gold medal.
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India have won their last seven matches against Sri Lanka and enter the final unbeaten in the Asian Games. The team also carries strong recent form into the contest and will start as the higher-ranked side.
The Women in Blue booked their place in the final with a commanding 114-run victory over Bangladesh in the semifinal. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, had a much tougher route to the title clash, relying heavily on captain Chamari Athapaththu to overcome Pakistan.
Athapaththu produced a crucial 83 off 50 balls in the semifinal, underlining her importance to Sri Lanka’s campaign. Her return to form with the bat will be one of the key concerns for India, particularly against a bowling attack that has otherwise been impressive throughout the tournament.
India’s batting has been led by an excellent opening combination. Shafali Verma made headlines in the semifinal by scoring her maiden T20I century, remaining unbeaten on 100 from just 49 balls against Bangladesh.
Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur have also contributed with the bat. However, India will be hoping for greater support from the middle order, with G. Kamalini and Bharti Fulmali yet to make a significant impact in the competition.
India could again prefer to bat first and put up a substantial total, a strategy that worked effectively against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup earlier this month. A strong start from the openers could allow India to put early pressure on the Sri Lankan attack.
With the ball, India’s spin department is expected to play a major role. Deepti Sharma and Shree Charani have been among the standout performers, with their ability to control the middle overs likely to be crucial against Sri Lanka’s batting line-up.
Deepti is the only member of India’s current squad who was also part of the gold-medal-winning team at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou. She will now have another opportunity to help India defend its title.
Weather could also have a role to play. Conditions in the region have remained overcast over the past few days. While there is currently no forecast for rain during the final, any overnight change could affect the match.
If the final is washed out without a result, India will be declared the winner because of its higher ranking.
The match is scheduled to begin at 10.30 a.m. IST on Tuesday.
