India Women snatch victory from the jaws of defeat; win ODI series 3-0 against South Africa

Women in Blue clean swept the Proteas as they went on to win the three-match ODI series 3-0 on Monday at Reliance Stadium, Vadodara. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, India managed to put up a paltry 146 in 45.5 overs. Harmanpreet Kaur top scored with a cautious 38 (76) and found an able ally in Shikha Pandey who hit a fluent 35 (40). With the ball, Shabnim Ismail provided the perfect start as she sent back Priya Punia in the very first over of the match. Marizanne Kapp was the most lethal of the lot as she struck with 3-20 in her nine overs picking up important wickets of Jemimah Rodrigues (3), Mithali Raj (11) and Harmanpreet Kaur (38).

Chasing 147 was going to be a cake walk for the visitors however the Indian bowlers got the better of them and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The South Africans were bundled out for 140 in 48 overs falling short of just six runs. The batters got off to starts but failed to capitalize and the Indians made sure to pounce on every opportunity that was presented to them by Sune Luus and co. Kapp top scored with 29 (43) and batted well with skipper Luus (24). With the ball, Ekta Bisht was the pick of the bowlers as she struck with 3-32 in her 10 overs. The spin duo of Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up two wickets apiece.

A nail biting finish by the Women in Blue made the third and the final ODI of the series thoroughly entertaining.

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Mithali and Punam steer India to an unassailable lead of 2-0 against South Africa

India continued its dominance over South Africa when the hosts beat the visitors by five wickets on Friday at Reliance Stadium, Vadodara. Winning the toss and electing to field first, India restricted South Africa to 247-6 in 50 overs. Opening bat Laura Wolvaardt top scored with a patient 69 (98) and received good support from her opening partner Lizelle Lee (40), together stitching a solid 76 run opening partnership. In the middle overs, Mignon du Preez (44) and Lara Goodall (38) played some fantastic cricket to take the South African score past 200. With the ball, India’s veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami failed to pick up any wickets. Shikha Pandey alongwith the spin twins Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav struck with two scalps each.

India’s highest ODI run chase also came against the Proteas when they chased down the target of 245. On Friday, the Women in Blue created a new record as they went on the chase 247 quite comfortably. Riding on mellifluous half centuries of skipper Mithali Raj (66) and Punam Raut (65), India managed to win the game with two overs to spare. Harmanpreet Kaur provided just the right finish as she struck a delightful 39 (27) which included five smooth hits to the fence and one ferocious one over it. With dollops of hardwork put together by the Indian batters who kept the South African bowlers at bay, India created history on Friday.

The two sides will meet on Monday at the same venue for the last and final ODI of the three-match ODI series. India has taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 and the Monday match will be nothing more than a dead rubber.

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Priya Punia and Jhulan Goswami guide India to 8-wicket win over South Africa

Riding on debutant Priya Punia’s mellifluous knock of 75 (not out), India chased down the target set by South Africa quite comfortably on Wednesday in the first ODI that was played at Reliance Stadium, Vadodara. Earlier in the day, the visitors won the toss and elected to bat first. However they were bundled out for 164 in 45.1 overs, courtesy Jhulan Goswami’s (3-33 in 7.1 overs) fiery bowling. Shikha Pandey gave her good company as she struck with 2-38 in her 10 overs. The spin trio of Ekta Bisht (2-28), Deepti Sharma (1-31) and Poonam Yadav (2-33) joined the party as they picked up the remaining five wickets. Marizanne Kapp top scored with a gritty 54.

In reply, the hosts achieved the target in 41.4 overs with eight wickets to spare. The opening pair of Priya Punia (75 not out) and Jemimah Rodrigues (55) stitched a solid partnership of 83 giving the right kind of platform for the batters to follow. Picking up one wicket each, Nadine de Klerk and Nondumiso Shangase were the only two successful bowlers out of the seven used.  

India lead the three match ODI series 1-0. The two sides will meet for the second ODI on Friday at the same venue.

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South Africa end the T20 series with grace; India win the series 3-1

It seemed to be an altogether different South African outfit that took the ground on Friday when they locked horns against India in a dead rubber at Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Surat. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, South Africa posted a mammoth total of 175-3 in 20 overs, riding on twin half centuries of the opening pair Lizelle Lee (84) and skipper Sune Luus (62). The pair stitched a match winning partnership of 144 against an unusually listless Indian bowling. Having sealed the series, team India decided to test their bench which meant giving rest to pace duo of Shikha Pandey and Pooja Vastrakar and spinner Radha Yadav. The South Africans made the most of the opportunity and handed one of the biggest defeats to the Women in Blue as they fell short of 105 runs.

In reply, India was cheaply bundled out for 70 in 17.3 overs, courtesy an extra ordinary bowling display from the Proteas. Veda Krishnamurthy (26) and Arundhati Reddy (22) were the only two batters to reach a double digit score. The rest of the otherwise formidable Indian batting faltered like a pack of cards. Nadine de Klerk was the standout bowler for South Africa as she struck with 3-18 in her four overs picking key wickets of Smriti Mandhana (5) and Deepti Sharma (2) apart from Arundhati Reddy.

South Africa concluded the six-match T20 series with grace as they managed a solitary win in the final outing. India won the series 3-1, with two games being washed out without a ball being bowled.

The two sides will now head to Vadodara for a three-match ODI series starting October 9.

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Radha Yadav and Harmanpreet Kaur star in India’s win over South Africa in the fifth T20

South Africa’s disappointment in India continued as the visitors failed to get the better of the opposition yet again on Thursday in the fifth T20I that was played at Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Surat. Winning the toss and electing to field first, the Women in Blue dwindled down the Proteas for a paltry 98-8 in 20 overs. Out of the eight wickets, seven were picked up by the Indian spinners with Radha Yadav leading the pack with 3-23 in her four overs. The South African batters got off to starts however failed to capitalize. Laura Wolvaardt top scored with 17.

Chasing a modest 99 was going to be a cake walk for the strong Indian batting line-up, but the visitors made sure that the Indians did not run away with the game easily. The South Africans kept picking wickets at regular intervals to unsettle Harmanpreet Kaur and co. Shabnim Ismail was the pick of the bowlers striking 2-19 in her four overs. In the end the Women in Blue sailed through winning the match by five wickets with 17 balls to spare. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur top scored with an unbeaten 34 that included some smooth hits to the fence.  

India take an unassailable lead of 3-0 with one match to go. The sixth and the final T20I will be played at the same venue on Friday.

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India Women seal the T20 series 2-0 against South Africa

In a rain curtailed outing on Tuesday, the Women in Blue pocketed the T20 series 2-0 against South Africa on Tuesday at Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Surat. Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, the visitors gave away for too many runs than expected as the hosts put on a challenging 140-4 in 17 overs, riding on 15-year old Shafali Verma’s gritty 46 (33) and 19-year old Jemimah Rodrigues’ blistering 33 (22). Among the wickets was Nadine de Klerk who struck with 2-24 in her three overs, with Tumi Sekhukhune and Ayabonga Khaka picking up solitary wicket each.

Chasing 141, the Proteas were reduced to a paltry 89-7 in 17 overs, courtesy Poonam Yadav’s brilliant bowling spell where she picked up 3-13 in her three overs. Radha Yadav was the perfect partner as she chipped in with 2-16 in her three. The Yadav duo spun the web to trap the South Africans, who fell short of 51 runs. Tazmin Brits (20) and Laura Wolvaardt (23) were the only two batters to score in double digits for the visitors.

The two sides meet on Thursday to play the fifth T20 of the six-match series. India lead the series 2-0 with two games being washed out without a ball being bowled.

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