Guwahat (PTI): Half-tons from Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma and their century partnership helped India to a competitive 269/8 in 47 overs, in a rain-truncated ICC Women's World Cup opener against Sri Lanka here on Tuesday.

Amanjot struck 57 off 56 balls while Deepti made run a ball 53 as the two batters weathered the Sri Lankan bowlers, especially spinner Inoka Ranaweera (4/46), to bail India out from a difficult situation at 124/6 in a match reduced to 47 overs per side.

The pair also shared a 103-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Opener Pratika Rawal (37) and Harleen Deol (48) were the other key contributors for India.

India lost Harleen, Jemimah Rodrigues (0) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (21) in the 26th over bowled by Ranaweera as she reduced India from 120/2 to 121/5.

Brief scores:

India 269 for 8 in 47 overs (Amanjot Kaur 57, Deepti Sharma 53; Inoka Ranaweera 4/46).

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Centre's response on a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, on the ground that those are allegedly discriminatory against women.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Panchol took note of the submissions made by lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who appeared in the matter for petitioners Poulomi Pavini Shukla and the Nyaya Naari Foundation, and issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The plea says the current Shariat inheritance rules are "manifestly discriminatory" against women, often granting them only half or less of the share allocated to their male counterparts.

Bhushan said the 1937 Act violates Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution.

He said matters of succession are civil in nature and do not constitute an "essential religious practice" protected under Article 25.

"Saying women will get half or even less than half compared to male counterparts is discriminatory," the lawyer said.