Deepti's all-round show gives India winning start in Women's World Cup
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Guwahati (PTI): The experience of Deepti Sharma was on full display as she struck a composed half-century alongside debutant Amanjot Kaur before taking a decisive three-wicket haul to help India overcome early hiccups and seal a 59-run win over Sri Lanka via DLS method in their Women's World Cup opener here on Tuesday.
For Sri Lanka, it was a case of missed opportunities. Having put India into bat, they had the game in their grasp when Harmanpreet Kaur and Co slipped to 124/6 with four wickets falling in the space of two overs.
But sloppy fielding let them down as the Indian middle and lower order capitalised to post a challenging 270-run target in 47 overs, after rain interruptions spanning nearly 90 minutes reduced the contest to a curtailed affair.
In reply, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu looked ominous, striking the ball cleanly in her 43 off 47 but after her dismissal the innings lost the momentum and eventually ended at 211 in 45.4 overs.
Playing without senior pacer Renuka Singh, India's bowling unit showed promise with Deepti leading from the front.
The new-ball duo of youngster Kranti Goud and Amanjot Kaur struck with a wicket apiece. Ably marshalled by Deepti, the three-pronged spin attack extracted sharp turn from a dry surface that had stayed under covers for over an hour due to rain interruptions.
Sneh Rana returned figures of 2/32, while rookie left-arm spinner Shree Charani impressed with 2/37 from her eight overs.
For Sri Lanka, Chamari was the standout batter. She repeatedly found the middle of the bat, punishing Deepti with two sixes and as many fours across successive overs.
But the Indian all-rounder had the last laugh. Coming around the wicket with a plan, she bowled full, flat, and quick and Chamari, looking to whip through the on-side, played all around it and missed, her stumps rattled.
That dismissal proved to be the turning point, as Sri Lanka's run-rate dipped and their innings was derailed.
By the time Deepti wrapped up her spell, conceding little and breaking Sri Lanka's backbone, India’s bowlers had sensed urgency, kept the squeeze on, and ensured the contest swung firmly in their favour.
Earlier, Amanjot displayed character and grit under pressure in her maiden Women's World Cup match and she teamed up with veteran Deepti to lift
India from a precarious position and post a challenging 269 for eight.
Put into bat, India were in deep trouble at 124/6 when the 24-year-old from Mohali, Amanjot, walked into the middle.
Alongside senior partner Deepti (53 off 53), Amanjot (57 off 56) rebuilt the innings with a 103-run partnership off 99 balls.
From the start, Amanjot showed remarkable composure, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries. She also survived three reprieves -- dropped on 18, 37, and 50 -- as the inexperienced Sri Lankan fielders struggled to hold onto chances and let it slip in the back-end.
She brought up her half-century off just 45 balls, featuring five fours and a towering six, blending aggression with control to keep India afloat.
Senior batter Deepti anchored the other end and completed her 16th WODI fifty in the process.
Sneh Rana also put on a fine cameo of 28 not out from 15 balls with with two fours and two sixes to prop up the total.
Title favourites and playing at home, India had a terrible start to their tournament campaign, as Sri Lanka caught them by surprise, reducing them to 124/6 with a devastating spell from left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera.
The 39-year-old Inoka ripped through the Indian middle order, snaring three wickets in five balls -- a well-set Harleen Deol (48), Jemimah Rodrigues (0) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (21) -- to leave India reeling.
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Arnab Goswami’s Homecoming? Anchor tears into Modi Government over aviation chaos
Says, govt not going to be happy with us saying this
New Delhi: In a striking turn that surprised even his regular viewers, Arnab Goswami spent the evening of December 4 taking direct aim at the central government over the ongoing crisis in the domestic aviation sector. The debate, aired on Republic, focused entirely on the severe disruption caused by IndiGo flight cancellations and the state of air travel in the country. The tone was sharp, emotional, and openly critical, raising the larger question of whether this marks a homecoming of sorts for the anchor long accused by critics of being soft on the government.
Goswami began the show by saying the central government had “completely let down” air passengers. He pointed to chaotic visuals from airports in Pune, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, describing passengers packed into crowded spaces, long queues, and travellers lying on the floor with little access to basic facilities. He said anyone travelling with children or elderly parents would understand the distress such situations cause.
According to him, the government often claims to have improved the aviation sector, but the day-to-day experience of passengers tells a different story. He argued that whatever help the government may have extended has benefited individuals and individual companies, not the sector as a whole.
Goswami highlighted data from the last three days, saying IndiGo had canceled 1,232 flights in November. He broke down the reasons for the cancellations: 755 linked to crew and FDTL constraints, 258 due to airspace and airport restrictions, 92 because of failures in air traffic control systems, 127 for other reasons.
He said passengers in India are often “taken for granted” and that only in this country can such large-scale cancellations take place without consequences.
Throughout the debate, Goswami repeatedly returned to the theme of duopoly. He said Air India and IndiGo together control 91.5 percent of the aviation market, leaving only a small share for others like Akasa and SpiceJet. This, he said, gives the two big players the power to decide prices and escape accountability.
“They can set the prices. They can torture passengers. They can be not answerable for air crashes.” He added.
Goswami also questioned why such a structure is allowed to exist if the government claims it opposes monopolies. He asked whether the government has made Air India accountable after the recent air crash, and said he did not believe so.
“We are told that the Modi government does not like monopolies. First of all, I don't agree with that. There are too many monopolies happening.” He said.
The anchor accused Air India of operating aircraft that were not airworthy and said no serious action followed. According to him, any other minister in charge of civil aviation would have been removed after such incidents, but nothing happened.
“He is not answerable. And why is the central government not bothered about it? Because he comes from the TDP, an alliance party. So let him do,” he said.
He added that Air India continues to seek government support, including compensation for losses after the Sindhur episode. Goswami questioned why public money should be used to support the airline, drawing a comparison with the earlier controversy involving Vijay Mallya seeking help from the Manmohan Singh government a move that was labelled as scam.
Goswami said passengers are suffering because of delayed flights, sudden cancellations, and lack of compensation. He criticised the DGCA, saying it was not enforcing safety and operational norms. He also questioned why the Prime Minister’s Office had not intervened.
He noted that Republic had carried multiple exposés on these issues and claimed that Air India chooses to give interviews and advertisements only to other channels.
He also called for Parliament to debate the aviation mess and examine whether monopolies or duopolies should be allowed in a nation of India’s size.
“I'm sure the government's not going to be happy with us saying this, but someone's got to speak up for the people of this country.” He added.
Known by his critics as the “Godi Media Chief”, Goswami’s direct attack on the Modi government over civil aviation raised eyebrows across media circles.
Whether this is a one-off outburst or a sign of a new editorial direction is something viewers will be watching closely.
#AviationCollapse | India’s aviation sector is in turmoil as IndiGo’s mass cancellations and Air India’s alleged safety lapses leave passengers stranded. The disruption raises serious questions about airline management, regulatory oversight, and who is ultimately responsible for… pic.twitter.com/Dqt6pcoW8w
— Republic (@republic) December 4, 2025
