Athapaththu relives final moments of game against Bangladesh

"A lot of credit for our win should go to the Head Coach for the way he handled the team in the dressing room

- BY SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

Sri Lanka Captain Chamari Athapaththu captures a wicket in the final over

IT was not the perfect game for either of the sides, but Sri Lanka held their nerve better than Bangladesh to pull off a seven-run win at the Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai on Monday to register their first win in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup.

Till the final two overs the momentum was entirely on Bangladesh's side with their Captain Nigar Sultana Joty leading the way with a half-century (77 off 98 balls, 6 fours). With Bangladesh requiring 9 runs off the final over she was the key, but unfortunately for them she was not on strike.

"Actually, I don't like to lie, when we started the 49th over, we had a winning chance of only 25%," said Sri Lanka Captain Chamari Athapaththu rewinding the final moments of the game. "But with the over bowled by Sugandika (Kumari) and the pressure she created, the game shifted to our side. We had to defend 9 runs in the final over and I knew then we had a chance. There was a decision to be made whether it was Udeshika (Prabodhani) or I would bowl the final over. At that time Udeshika came and told me, “Chamari, you take the last over as you seem to be in the right mood for it better than me”. She is the most senior player in the team and when she said that I gained a lot of confidence to bowl the final over."

And what a final over Athapaththu bowled. She took four wickets conceding just one run to deny Bangladesh a win which they had within their grasp.