Rumeli Dhar missed her maiden one-day international century but guided India to a thumping 182-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the Women's cricket Asia Cup in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka on Monday.
Dhar hit an unbeaten 92, her highest score in 51 ODIs, and Asha Rawat scored a painstaking 69 as India posted 275 for seven in their stipulated 50 overs after electing to bat and then restricted Pakistan to 93 for 9 in 50 overs.
India were hardly made to sweat by the Pakistani women, who suffered their third successive defeat in the tournament and 11th overall in the competition's history.
India batted its young and inexperienced opponent out of the match after Rumeli and Asha put up excellent batting performances.
Rumeli's 93-ball innings included seven fours and two sixes while Asha faced 90 balls and struck five fours and a six.
After Jaya Sharma (0) and Karuna Jain (12 departed early to leave India reeling at 25-2, Asha and Priyanka Roy (31) put on 50 runs for the third wicket to stabilise the innings. Asha then added 89 runs for the fourth wicket with Rumeli to provide the platform from where the later order batsmen could launch the onslaught and collect 111 runs in the last 15 overs.
Pakistan was never in the hunt after losing Bismah Maroof in the fifth over before it collapsed to 64-8 in 28 overs. Asmavia Iqbal and Qanita Jalil not only delayed the inevitable but made sure that Pakistan was not bowled out.
For India, wickets were evenly shared between debutant Gouher Sultana, who finished as the pick of bowlers with figures of 10-7-9-3, fast bowler Amita Sharma (2-8), left-arm spinner Neetu David (2-6) and Jhulan Goswami and Rumeli Dhar who claimed one wicket each.
India will next play Bangladesh at the same venue on Tuesday.
In Dambulla, Sri Lanka recorded its second victory in three matches when it defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets in a low scoring match. Bangladesh batted first and scored 94 in 46 overs, a target which the local girls achieved in little under 20 overs.
