India Women successfully defended their Asian Games cricket gold medal with a clinical performance to outclass Sri Lanka Women by 147 runs on Tuesday. Earlier, Pakistan Women returned to the medal podium with a 31-run victory over Bangladesh to claim bronze. The 2010 and 2014 gold medallists had finished fourth at the previous Games.

India, electing to bat first, posted the highest total of the tournament — 216 for three in 20 overs — before dismissing Sri Lanka for 69 in 15.4 overs.

Opener Smriti Mandhana laid the foundation for the imposing total with 79 from 45 balls, including five fours and seven sixes, before wicketkeeper/batter Richa Ghosh provided the late flourish with an unbeaten 49 from 22 balls, striking six fours and three sixes.

Mandhana’s opening partner Shafali Verma, who scored an unbeaten century in the semi-final against Bangladesh, struck three fours and three sixes in a 29-ball 48. Overall, India’s batters hammered 18 fours and 13 sixes.

Sri Lanka, who had struck 17 fours and nine sixes in their semi-final victory over Pakistan, were virtually out of the contest when captain Chamari Athapaththu became the third batter dismissed with the score on 43 in the seventh over. They subsequently collapsed to 69 all out in 15.4 overs.

Athapaththu (29 off 21 balls, five fours) fell to Deepti Sharma after Shafali Verma had accounted for Imesha Dulani (3) and Hasini Perera (0). Sharma finished with three for six, while Verma, Shreyanka Patil and Shree Charani claimed two wickets apiece.

Tuesday’s victory was India’s eighth in a row this year and their 15th overall in 24 matches.

In the bronze-medal match, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana top-scored with 45 to lift her side to 145 for eight before Umm-e-Hani returned impressive figures of three for 10 to restrict Bangladesh to 114 for seven.

After Gull Feroza (31) and Shawaal Zulfiqar (17) put on 46 for the first wicket from 41 balls, Pakistan slipped to 67 for five in 11.4 overs.

At that stage, Fatima joined Aliya Riaz (25) to add a valuable 67 runs from 43 balls for the sixth wicket and lift Pakistan to a total they could defend.

Fatima’s 30-ball innings included three fours and three sixes, while Aliya faced 22 deliveries and struck a four and two sixes.

Bangladesh, in reply, lost three wickets inside 4.1 overs — two of them to Umm-e-Hani — before Sharmin Akhter and Nigar Sultana attempted to revive the chase with a 47-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Sharmin remained unbeaten on 46 and Nigar scored 25, but Bangladesh could manage only 114 for seven from their 20 overs.

Umm-e-Hani added the wicket of Shorna Akter in her fourth over to finish with three for 10 and end the Asian Games on a high. Ayesha Zafar, Nashra Sandhu, Tasmia Rubab and Fatima Sana claimed one wicket apiece.

Scores in brief

Gold-medal match — India Women beat Sri Lanka Women by 147 runs

India Women 216-3, 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 79, Richa Ghosh 49 not out, Shafali Verma 48, Harmanpreet Kaur 19)

Sri Lanka Women 69 all out, 15.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 29; Deepti Sharma 3-6, Shafali Verma 2-3, Shreyanka Patil 2-9, Shree Charani 2-13)

Bronze-medal match — Pakistan Women beat Bangladesh Women by 31 runs

Pakistan Women 145-8, 20 overs (Fatima Sana 45, Gull Feroza 31, Aliya Riaz 25, Shawaal Zulfiqar 17; Shorna Akter 2-16, Nahida Akter 2-21, Ritu Moni 2-27)

Bangladesh Women 114-7, 20 overs (Sharmin Akhter 46 not out, Nigar Sultana 25; Umm-e-Hani 3-10)