Welcome to the HIGHLIGHTS of the 3rd T20I between India Women and South Africa Women from the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
SUMMARY:
Terrific mettle shown by the Indian women after being trumped by the Proteas through the month who sealed the T20I series as well with an unassailable lead. A refined display from India's bowlers led by a sensational spell from Rajeshwari Gayakwad snapped the SA top-order while drying up the runs immensely. SA tottered and barely managed to cross a 100, a pale shadow of its former self in the series.
In reply, the SA pacers were put to the sword as India's young maverick, Shafali Verme bludgeoned them left, right and centre as she stormed to a cracking fifty (60 off 30) to make light work of the chase. Her skipper, Mandhana who was in the trail, took up the mantle with an array of beautiful strokes helped India seal the chase in a mere 66 balls!
And that's how a largely unprepared and rusty Indian side sign off. Hopefully, there's more clarity for their path to the big World Cup next year soon enough with emphasis put further on camps and conditioning to play against the best in the world. Thank you for tuning in, folks. Good night!
One fine comeback!
The Shafali carnage!
114/1 in 11 overs: Mandhana finishes the match in thumping fashion with three consecutive boundaries!
de Klerk puts one short as Mandhana rocks back to hit through square leg. A fuller delivery has similar results with it being hit over the off-side circle. de Klerk peppers another one short and Mandhana swivels graciously to put the winning runs into the midwicket fence.
The smiles are back in the Indian camp as they beat the Proteas by nine wickets to finish the series 2-1!
IND 101/1 in 10 overs:
Sekhukhune chips in with a quiet over to keep Mandhana and Harleen low. India would not bother with just
12 runs needed in 10 overs! However, the whole stadium is still caught in the Shafali trance!
IND 99/1 in 9 overs: Shangase to Shafali. OUT! Shafali falls after a blistering knock!
Fails to time the slog over mid-wicket as Shangase lowers the pace on it further. The ball soars between long-on and deep mid-wicket but Ismail has flown from long-on to complete a fine diving catch. A terrific innings from Shafali has literally finished off the chase even before the Proteas could blink!
Shafali Verma c Ismail b Shangase 60 (30b 7x4 5x6)
IND 90/0 in 8 overs: FIFTY FOR SHAFALI! And she brings it up in some terrific style with a walloping hit through extra-cover! Mandhana is not a quiet duck atthe other end as she graces yet another boundary through the off-side to put India within touching distance of a win. The Proteas are clueless of what can be done to remove the pair.
IND 80/0 in 7 overs: Mandhana pulls of trademark drive. Shangase is invited into the attack with two gorgeous cover drives for which even she would have applauded for a moment. Nothing more than a full-face punch through the covers and the outfield does the rest as Ismail at long-on stood no chance of stopping the shots.
IND 71/0 in 6 overs:
Another boundary for Verma through the extra-cover regions as she puts off a gentle full-toss from Bosch.
India finishes the powerplay in some style with 71/0 on the board!
IND 64/0 in 5 overs: Mandhana gets into the act with a hattrick of boundaries against SA's best, Shabnim Ismail! This is elegance personified as Mandhana cracks the perfect square driver and follows it up with two delectable swivel pulls. Ismail's misery is not done just yet as Shafali flicks the final ball off the over for another boundary through mid-wicket.
IND 45/0 in 4 overs: Shafali storm hits Ekana.
de Klerk is put off to the cleaners as Shafali straight-pulls off the shorter delivery twice down the ground. The power she manages to generate on these strokes is simply brilliant!
IND 32/0 in 3 overs: A sizzling six for Shafali! Luus is quick to bring in Sekhukhune who has troubled the batters with her slower ones. Mandhana passes on the strike to Shafali who is kept quiet for a couple of deliveries. Shafali then aces her go-to slog over long-on as an optimistic Sekhukhune pushes a quicker one in.
IND 24/0 in 2 overs: de Klerk begins well as she manages to cramp Mandhana for room with a faint pull managing a single. Shafali has a quick eye in before sliding a brisk boundary to the leg-side of Klerk to complete the over.
IND 18/0 in 1 over: A fiery start for India and it only means one thing - Shafali Verma has started on a high! Ismail strays to the pads first up as an inside-edge from Shafali glides down to the boundary. The second ball is no-nonsense from the dashing Shafali as he tonks it over long-on. Ismail has no respite as a ball outside off-stump is waltzed to the point fence in some style from the world no.1 batter! There's however, a stroke of luck for Shafali as a thick outside-edge off the final ball barely passes past Sinalo Jafta behind the stumps to the boundary.
Welcome to the chase! Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana are at the crease. Shabnim Ismail with the ball for South Africa.
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SA 112/7 in 20 overs: And Goodall provides some late flourish for South Africa to take the side to 112.
But what a terrific performance has this been from India, led by some terrific bowling from Rajeshwari Gayakwad who picked up the key early wickets.
India now needs 113 runs to win the final match of an entertaining tour!
SA 89/6 in 17 overs: Goodall and Jafta rake in quick runs! 16 runs come off Simran's over with three well-crafted boundaries. South Africa could aim for a good final flouish now to move into the chase with some momentum.
SA 73/6 in 16 overs: Deepti to Luus. OUT! The skipper is cleaned up!
Deepti fends one short as Luus switches back and attempts to pull through mid-wicket. She misses it completely as Sharma hits the woodworks. India is on a roll and is primed for a top finish here.
Sune Luus b Sharma 28 (25b 3x4)
SA 68/5 in 15 overs: Gayakwad to de Klerk. OUT! A third 'bowled' wicket for Gayakwad!
No different from how Lee and Bosch were sent back by the wily left-armer. Gayakwad darts one in as de Klerk attempts a risky cut and misses it altogether. Luus, the captain, is the only batter to have a 100-plus strike rate so far and she goes one up with a boundary off the final ball of Gayakwad's spell.
She finishes her spell with sensational figures of: 4-0-9-3! Nadine de Klerk b Gayakwad 9 (12b 1x4)
SA 61/4 in 14 overs: Two brilliant boundaries race off Luus' blade. Harleen Deol concedes 10 in her first over as a tossed-up delivery is swept through the air to the square leg fence despite a desperate dive from Radha Yadav. Luus follows up with a stupendous drive through the extra cover boundary.
SA 51/4 in 13 overs: South Africa crosses 50
after a hard toil and losing four of its batters in the bid. India continues to pile on the pressure as Luus and de Klerk aim to fetch some quick runs.
SA 40/4 in 11 overs: Simran to Tunnicliffe. OUT! There falls another. Tunnicliffe's resistance is undone by a slower one from Simran. The pressure to up the scoring had reached its saturation point and there was no going further without an advanced stroke. Simran deftly cuts the down as the batter steps out and misses it altogether. She picks her first international wicket as India finds itself in a comfortable position. Faye Tunnicliffe b Bahadur 18 (35b 1x4)
SA 31/3 in 10 overs: 31 runs in 10 overs!! What a start has this been for the Indian bowlers as they have virtually dried up the boundaries and has forced to the Proteas to struggle for every single run out there.
SA 25/3 in 9 overs:
Radha continues her fine touch with the ball as she tempts the batters to go for it. Luus is reluctant but finds a couple of singles in the over as we near the half-way mark of the innings with the score barely touching 30!
SA 21/3 in 8 overs: Deepti Sharma comes in and steams through a quick over.
Tunnicliffe is on
8 off 26 balls and has hogged most of the strike.
SA 17/3 in 7 overs: Radha Yadav to Wolvaardt. OUT! There goes another as Deepti Sharma redeems herself with a stunning catch!
Radha tosses a tempting delivery outside off and Wolvaardt fishes for it with the leading catch falling towards short-extra cover. Deepti, who missed a catch a couple of overs ago, dives full-length and gobbles up a fine catch to put India on top in the dead-rubber. A rare blip for Wolvaardt as she walks back for a duck.
Laura Wolvaardt c Sharma b Yadav 0 (3b)
SA 15/2 in 6 overs: Gayakwad to Lee. OUT! Gayakwad bolts through!
A similar delivery to what got Bosch packing. Lee makes the mistake of moving back in her crease to a darted delivery from Gayakwad. This is brilliant bowling first-up from India.
SA 14/1 in 5 overs: Lee is DROPPED! Dear oh dear! Deepti Sharma has a nightmarish couple of deliveries at short mid-on as she drops a dolly presented from a false stroke from Lee. Lee hits another wristy shot towards Deepti who misfields the delivery. Arundhati, the bowler, is fuming and has all the right to feel bogged down.
SA 8/1 in 4 overs: MAIDEN OVER! Rajeshwari has put Tunnicliffe on the spot
with some excellent stump-to-stump bowling. Tunnicliffe seemed desperate get off strike and the left-armer has kept it very tight.
Tunnicliffe is on 1 run off 13 balls!
SA 8/1 in 3 overs: A fine over from Arundhati
as she hits the deck with the stump line. New batter Tunnicliffe is put under the pump as she fails to pierce the gaps in a tight over.
SA 6/1 in 2 overs: Gayakwad to Bosch. OUT! Cleaned her up! A crisp delivery from Gayakwad as she puts it in the spot while Bosch makes the mistake of rocking back and away. The ball rushes through to the stumps and hits the timber. A fine over from Rajeshwari ends by conceding just one run with the prized wicket. Anneke Bosch b Gayakwad 0 (2b)
SA 5/0 in 1 over: A brisk start from Arundhati even as she concedes a boundary to Lee. Lee is quick to pounce on a rare wide delivery and slashes it past point.
Arundhati Reddy with the new ball.
Right, action begins in Lucknow. Mandhana leads the Indian side onto the field as the deadly Lizelle Lee and Anne Bosch walk out to the middle.
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6:50PM: International debut for medium-pacer Ayushi Soni. Interesting to note that Richa Ghosh will don the gloves as Nuzhat Parween misses out. SA makes as many as three changes as well.
TOSS: India wins the Toss and elects to Field
6:25PM: Milestones in focus ahead of the final T20I
6:15PM:
The Indian women will hope for one final hurrah in a rather short-lived time on the field this month. Terrible times indeed for the team whose imminent future is in thin air. Will India finish on a high?
Stay tuned as the Toss goes up in 15 minutes.
6:00PM: A fine evening for Shafali Verma as she regains her top spot at the ICC T20I batting rankings
5:55PM: Here are the top performers to watch out for tonight
2nd T20I preview
It has been an agonising few weeks for the Indian women after being demolished in the ODI series, the team was ousted in the T20s as well.
The well-oiled Proteas lineup have come out all guns blazing and has clearly led the mantle save for a lone 50-over game. The 2nd T20I on Sunday was no different as India sans skipper Harmanpreet, was found wanting once again. After setting out to bat, a blistering start from the prodigious Shafali Verma, the Indian top-order failed to shift gears as the South African bowlers stuck to their plans and put India under check.
Shafali's knock at the top found a perfect ally in the late stages as teenager, Richa Ghosh carved out a quickfire 44* to put India at 158/4 in 20 overs, certainly below-par on a good wicket.
The Proteas batting lineup soon made a meal of the chase as opener Lizelle Lee dazzled the Indians once again with a stroke-filled 70. A spin-heavy bowling lineup only meant that the game stretched to the final ball of the match despite South Africa hardly put under pressure. A six wicket win ensured Sune Luus' side lifted the T20I series against some pale resistance from the Smriti Mandhana-led Indian team.
With a World Cup fast approaching early next year, the Indian women whose future tours are under a cloud at the moment, will aim to make the most of a consolation win in this dead rubber contest.
WHAT THEY SAID
"We can't keep using (lack of game time) as an excuse. There will be an odd match where we will get it right and good times will follow." Smriti Mandhana after the loss in the 2nd T20I.
When does the match begin:
March 23, 7 pm IST
Where to watch:
India Women vs South Africa Women T20Is will be live on Star Sports 2 (and HD) and Star Sports 3 (and HD). The India Women vs South Africa Women ODIs will also be streamed online on Disney+Hotstar.
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