South Africa Women Crush India by 8 Wickets, Take 2-0 Series Lead

From a position of relative comfort at 99/3, India lost their way as the last seven wickets fell for just 33 runs to end at a below-par 147. Shafali Verma, playing her 100th T20I game, hit 57 off 38 balls and was sensational in hitting seven fours and two sixes.

Shafali was the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing batting display for India. For South Africa, Tumi and Chloe picked excellent three-fors, and used the slower balls and good length area to great effect.

Chasing a below-par 148, the Proteas openers made a mockery of the Indian attack with a 106-run stand. Laura led from the front by finding gaps with immaculate ease and smashed a 34-ball 54, laced with seven fours and a six, while Luus remained equally effective by hitting 57 off 46 deliveries, studded with six fours and a maximum.

After the duo fell to Shreyanka Patil, Tazmin Brits (20 not out) and Annerie Dercksen (12 not out) wrapped up the proceedings with 17 balls to spare to get a comprehensive win for the Proteas. It also helped that Indian bowlers weren't penetrative enough, gave away too many runs in fielding lapses and middle order collapse meant they failed to capitalise on the good start provided by Shafali Verma's 57.

The chase began with intent as Laura greeted Kranti Gaud with a crisp boundary through backward point in the opening over. Shreyanka Patil was introduced in the second over but fared no better, as Laura stepped out to drive her through mid-off for another four, before the Proteas captain creamed Kranti Gaud for a boundary.

Sune joined the party in the fourth over, clearing the long-on ropes for the first six of the chase off Shreyanka. By the time the Powerplay concluded, South Africa had raced to 66/0, with Deepti Sharma conceding 12 runs in her opening over.

With India prone to misfields, Laura reached her fifty off 30 balls by creaming Arundhati over extra cover. But she fell in the 12th over, caught by Arundhati at long-on off Shreyanka. But the damage was already done - Sune reached her own half-century off 41 balls after having effectively countered the Indian spinners.

Even after Sune was caught by Kranti Gaud off Shreyanka, India continued to give reprieves to South Africa. Smriti Mandhana dropped Tazmin Brits at long-on in the 15th over, followed by Arundhati shelling her chance at the same position in the next over. Tazmin sealed the victory by cutting debutant Anushka Sharma for a boundary through point, ensuring that it was all easy for Proteas to get a clinical win.

Previously, Shafali started with her typical aggression, smoking Tumi for a six in the very first over. Her opening partner Smriti Mandhana (12) looked fluent with three boundaries off Ayabonga Khaka, before falling to Chloe while attempting a sweep.

After Jemimah Rodrigues fell cheaply to Chloe, Anushka joined Shafali to steady the ship with a 53-run stand. However, Anushka struggled for rhythm on a slowing pitch, managing a sluggish 28 off 31 balls, even as Shafali, dropped on 28, got her 15th T20I fifty off 31 balls.

Once the partnership was broken in the 13th over when Anushka holed out to deep mid-wicket off Chloe, the floodgates opened for South Africa. Shafali followed shortly after, caught brilliantly by a diving Nadine de Klerk at long-off off Nonkululeko Mlaba.

The middle and lower order offered little resistance against the disciplined South African bowling attack. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (12) was run out due to a sharp piece of glovework by keeper Sinalo Jafta, while Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh and Shreyanka Patil perished in quick succession.

Some late boundaries from Sree Charani and Arundhati Reddy helped India cross the 140-mark before the latter was run out on the final ball to bring a disappointing batting effort from the visitors to an end, which wasn't enough to stop Laura & Co from getting another win.

Brief Scores: India 147 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 57, Anushka Sharma 28; Chloe Tryon 3-22, Tumi Sekhukhune 3-31) lost to South Africa 148/2 in 17.1 overs (Sune Luus 57, Laura Wolvaardt 54; Shreyanka Patil 2-35) by eight wickets.

- IANS