India secured a four-run victory over South Africa in a high-scoring thriller, advancing to a 2-0 series lead in the three-match contest. Despite recovering from 67/3, South Africa fell short as India held on for the win. Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp both scored centuries to narrow the gap, and Nadine de Klerk added a quick 28 from 22 balls, pushing the match to the wire. Pooja Vastrakar held her composure in the nail-biting final over, ensuring an exhilarating win for India.
India’s innings was bolstered by Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, who each recorded centuries, propelling India to a solid total of 325/3. Mandhana crafted a well-paced 136, while Harmanpreet remained not out on 103, contributing to a vital 171-run partnership for the third wicket.
TOSS– South Africa won the toss and chose to field first.
Team Line-ups:
South Africa Women:
Laura Wolvaardt (C), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Nondumiso Shangase, Meike De Ridder (WK), Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka.
India Women:
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana.
MATCH SUMMARY
I
ndia initially struggled under overcast conditions, scraping together only 28 runs in the initial powerplay. Ayabonga Khaka delivered tight overs, including maidens to both Mandhana and Shafali Verma. However, the duo eventually found their rhythm, adding 38 runs before Mlaba dismissed Verma. Mandhana then forged a 62-run partnership with Dayalan Hemalatha, overcoming a sluggish start. The partnership boosted India’s momentum until Hemalatha departed for 24.
The dismissal brought India’s top batters to the crease, leading to a significant assault on the South African bowlers. Mandhana and Harmanpreet combined to put on a crucial century partnership, with Mandhana scoring her century and Harmanpreet providing quick runs. The final ten overs saw India accelerate to push the score to 325, setting a challenging target.
In response, South Africa faced an early blow with the loss of Tazmin Brits. Nevertheless, Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch began rebuilding, maintaining a steady scoring pace in the face of Indian bowlers. India’s spinners slowed down the rate, but South Africa kept up with necessary boundaries. Wolvaardt and Kapp then took charge, propelling the chase with their aggressive batting and century partnership. Despite their efforts, including Kapp’s stunning century, the increasing run rate in the closing overs proved too much.
Entering the final over with the game still in balance, Vastrakar delivered under pressure, claiming crucial wickets to cement India’s win by a narrow margin.
Brief scores:
India 325/3 in 50 overs (Smriti Mandhana 136, Harmanpreet Kaur 103*; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2-51) defeated South Africa 321/6 in 50 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 135*, Marizanne Kapp 114; Deepti Sharma 2-56, Pooja Vastrakar 2-54) by four runs.