Amanjot karu

ODI World Cup: India started their ICC Women’s ODI World Cup campaign on a topsy-turvy note but finished their innings on a high as Amanjot Kaur (57) and Deepti Sharma (53) struck fifties while Sneh Rana propelled the score with a blazing cameo to overshadow Inoka Ranaweera’s four-wicket haul in the rain-shortened tournament opener against Sri Lanka at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

A brilliant all-round batting show by Amanjot, Deepti, Harleen Deol (48), and Pratika Rawal (37) before Sneh Rana provided the final flourish with a 15-ball 28 not out as the hosts reached a challenging 269/8 in 47 overs, overcoming a middle-order collapse that had given Sri Lanka a slight edge in the middle overs.

India started the innings on a decent note after being put in to bat first, but suffered an early setback as ace opener Smriti Mandhana walked back, scoring just eight runs off 10 deliveries. Her opening partner, Pratika Rawal, and top-order batter, Harleen Deol, sailed through the tense first Power-play and ended the first 10 overs with the scoreboard reading 43/1.