Can women seal final spot in tri-series?

Colombo: India will be eager to bounce back from their loss and confirm their spot in the final when they face a struggling South African side in the women’s Tri-series here on Wednesday.

Harmanpreet Kaur and her team saw their eight-match winning streak come to an end on Sunday with a rare defeat to hosts Sri Lanka.

While India are still well-placed to reach the final -- thanks to a superior net run rate of 0.433 built on dominant performances in their opening two games -- they will look to seal it with a convincing win on Wednesday.

The ‘Women in Blue’ are perched on top of the points table having earned four points from three outings. They are ahead of second placed Sri Lanka, who also have four points but an inferior NRR of -0.166, while winless South Africa are last although the Proteas women have played a game less

India’s batting has been a major positive in the series. Opener Pratika Rawal has led the charge with 163 runs, including two half-centuries, and currently tops the run-scorers’ chart. Other batters have also contributed to the cause. An in-form Sneh Rana has been the standout bowler in the series.