Harmanpreet Kaur's India eye Asian Games gold repeat as they face Sri Lanka in final

Nisshin: India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur, right, with Kranti Gaud, centre, and Gunalan Kamalini celebrate (PTI Photo)

Nagoya: In the almost three weeks of the Asian Games, the Indian women’s cricket team got a one-week window and three matches to win the title.With cricket still relatively unknown in the region, the players have been able to explore the city and its surroundings without attracting attention, from visiting the Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples of Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital, to strolling through the streets of Nagoya.

They have sampled local food, shopped and even found a taste of home at a Japanese-run Indian restaurant.

At the Karogi Athletics Park cricket facility on the outskirts of the city, teams like Japan and Malaysia have rushed to meet India’s cricketers. For many of them, it’s a dream come true to meet icons like skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. The Indian diaspora, too, has come out in large numbers.Amid all the new experiences, they haven’t lost focus on the job at hand: to retain the gold.India hardly broke a sweat in the run-up to the final. However, Sri Lanka can be tricky customers, although India beat them in the Asia Cup less than two weeks ago.The battle for gold will be a repeat of the previous edition’s final, in which India got the better of the Lankans by 19 runs in a low-scoring final.

That said, Sri Lanka have been in top form en route to the finale, registering wins against Malaysia and Pakistan. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu has led from the front with 146 runs from two matches, including two half-centuries.

The 36-year-old cricketer is keen to make amends for the group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup runners-up finish.While the fancied Indians will settle for nothing but gold, the opposition is not being taken lightly.“Chamari is in good form. We know that she is one of their best players, so we have plans for her. That said, we will just try to execute our own plans,” opener Shafali Verma said.There’s a prediction of rain, so both teams will also have an eye on the weather. If the match is abandoned, India, who are the top seeds, will be declared winners.