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Athapaththu backs Sri Lanka ahead of Asia Cup final
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in the semifinal of the Women’s Asia Cup.
Pakistan scored 131 runs.
Sri Lanka lost three batters early while chasing that score.
Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari then played carefully and added 67 runs together.
Their partnership helped Sri Lanka regain control of the match.
Nilakshi de Silva and Kaushani Nuthyangana finished the chase.
Sri Lanka will now play India in the final.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu believes her team can beat any opponent if it follows its plans.
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by four wickets in the Women’s Asia Cup semifinal.
Sri Lanka chased Pakistan’s 131 after losing three early wickets.
Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari shared a crucial 67-run partnership.
Nilakshi de Silva and Kaushani Nuthyangana completed the chase with eight balls remaining.
Sri Lanka will face India in their second consecutive Women’s Asia Cup final on Sunday.
- Who
- Sri Lanka, led by captain Chamari Athapaththu, defeated Pakistan and will play India.
- What
- Sri Lanka won the Women’s Asia Cup semifinal by four wickets and reached the final.
- Where
- The final will be played at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.
- When
- The final is scheduled for Sunday; the article does not provide the semifinal date.
- Why
- Sri Lanka advanced by successfully chasing Pakistan’s total of 131.
Sri Lanka’s strengths
Areas for improvement
Batting under pressure
Sri Lanka’s strengths
Athapaththu praised the young batting group, especially the way Samarawickrama and Dilhari absorbed pressure and took singles.
Areas for improvement
Sri Lanka lost Athapaththu, Sanjana Kavindi and Hasini Perera inside the first six overs, putting the chase under early pressure.
Fielding performance
Sri Lanka’s strengths
Athapaththu said Sri Lanka’s bowling unit performed very well and praised the team’s overall effort.
Areas for improvement
She acknowledged that Sri Lanka dropped a couple of catches and still had room to improve in the field.
Final prospects
Sri Lanka’s strengths
Athapaththu said Sri Lanka has strong finishers and can beat any team if it executes its plans.
Areas for improvement
Sri Lanka must face India in the final, presenting a more challenging test after the semifinal victory over Pakistan.
Key facts
- Semifinal result
- Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by four wickets.
- Pakistan’s score
- 131 runs.
- Key partnership
- Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari added 67 runs.
- Harshita’s score
- 36 runs.
- Dilhari’s score
- 33 runs.
- Winning margin in time
- Sri Lanka completed the chase with eight balls to spare.
- Final opponent
- India.
- Final venue
- Dubai International Stadium.
Quotes
Chamari Athapaththu
Sri Lanka captain and all-rounder
“As a bowling unit, we did really good, and we dropped a couple of catches when we were fielding, but we did really good. And the way the batters batted, it’s amazing to watch, because the youngsters (are) doing really good. That’s a very good thing for the team and the nation as well”
thehansindia.com
“We have good finishers like Harshitha, Nilakshika, Kavisha. Most of the players are playing really good, even the bowling unit. So we have good players. So if we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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