Another
great day for Indian cricket was witnessed on Saturday, when, both, the men’s
team and women’s team clinched T20 series victory against South Africa in their
own backyard. Harmanpreet Kaur-led side won the series the five match series 3-1,
with one match abandoned due to rain.
On
Saturday at Cape Town, batting first, India posted a strong total of 166-4 in
their full quota of 20 overs. It was again the veteran batswoman Mithali Raj who
provided a solid start to the team with an aggressive knock of 62 that was
laced with eight boundaries and a six. 17-year old Jemimah Rodrigues played
with a lot of maturity and steadied the Indian batting ship with a useful knock
of 44, after India suffered an early blow in the form of Smriti Mandhana (13). Towards
the end, the skipper played an unbeaten cameo and scored a quickfire 27 off 17
balls, hitting one boundary and two sixes. Khaka and Ismail picked up one
wicket apiece and Kapp accounted for one run out and a wicket.
Chasing
167 was not going to be easy and it did no good to the hosts when they lost
their top three batswomen inside six overs. Tryon (25) and Kapp (27) tried to consolidate
the innings but could not find able allies to take their side to victory. The
otherwise spin dominated Indian bowling attack found a pleasant surprise in the
form of medium pacer Rumeli Dhar (3-26), who was the wrecker-in-chief. Shikha
Pandey and Rajeshwari Gayakwad also scalped three wickets and crushed the South
African batting line-up. The Proteas were bowled out for 112 in 18 overs, thus
handing a 54-run win to India.
Source:Hindustan Times
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