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Asian games 2023

'Bharat is unstoppable at the moment' - Fans react as India clinch gold medal in Women's cricket at Asian Games 2023

This was also India’s second gold medal as well and it is also the first ever gold medal for India in cricket at Asian Games.

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'Bharat is unstoppable at the moment' - Fans react as India clinch gold medal in Women's cricket at Asian Games 2023

India women’s cricket team defeated the Sri Lanka women's team by 19 runs in the finals to win a gold medal in the Asian Games. This was also India’s second gold medal as well and it is also the first ever gold medal for India in cricket at Asian Games.

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In the Asian Games final, India won the toss and chose to bat first. Shafali Verma, India's opener, was the first to be dismissed, courtesy of Sugandika Kumari. Subsequently, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues formed a crucial partnership of 73 runs to stabilize India's innings.

The prolific left-hand opener, who was on the verge of reaching her 23rd T20I half-century, fell short when Inoka Ranaweera dismissed her after scoring 46 runs from 45 balls, featuring five boundaries and a six. Rodrigues contributed 42 runs off 40 deliveries but received limited support from her teammates. Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar, and Amanjot Kaur struggled to make a significant impact, and India finished their innings at 116 for 7 in 20 overs.

Despite a promising start and the Mandhana-Rodrigues partnership, India's middle order couldn't capitalize, resulting in a somewhat modest total. The standout bowlers for Sri Lanka were Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari, and Inoka Ranaweera, each claiming two wickets. With a target of 117, Sri Lanka faced a challenging task in their chase, while India aimed to defend their total in the crucial final of the Asian Games.

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Sri Lanka women fell short by just 19 runs

In the second innings of the Asian Games women's cricket final, India gained an early advantage by taking three quick wickets. Titas Sadhu was instrumental with the new ball, dismissing both Sri Lankan openers, Chamari Athapaththu, and Anushka Sanjeewani, and also cleaning up Vishmi Gunaratne. Sri Lanka found themselves struggling at 14 for 3 in just 4.2 overs.

However, Hasini Perera and Nilakshi de Silva mounted a 36-run partnership, revitalizing Sri Lanka's hopes. Perera contributed 25 runs off 22 balls before falling to Rajeshwari Gayakwad, while De Silva was dismissed by Pooja Vastrakar after scoring 23 runs from 34 deliveries. India's bowlers, particularly Deepti Sharma and Devika Vaidya, maintained pressure, leading to the fall of more Sri Lankan wickets. Sri Lanka concluded their innings with 97 for 8 after 20 overs, falling short of the target by 19 runs.

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Titas stood out as India's top bowler, claiming three wickets while conceding just six runs in her four overs. With this performance, India secured their second gold medal at the Asian Games 2023, solidifying their dominance in women's cricket at the tournament.

Let us look at how Twitter has reacted to this victory:

 

India Sri Lanka Twitter Reactions