India 160 for 1 (Mandhana 80 *, Raut 62 *) beat South Africa 157 (Goodall 49, Goswami 4-42) with nine wikis
The Indian Women jumped the five-match series against South Africa 1-1 by polling on a small target with 21.2 overs to enter and denying South Africa their eighth trophy. one after another. The win was India’s biggest margin of success against South Africa with wickets.
Positions were completely reversed from Sunday’s game when South Africa made their way to an eight-wicket win after choosing to run, blocking the face with a clinical display in the field. The guests were much better off from that performance, clearly had no rust removed and created a number of opportunities in the field. Jhulan Goswami led their effort with four wikis and received good support from returning sailor Mansi Joshi – who has not played ODIs since October 2019 – and the spinners. Rajeshwari Gayakwad played in with three wikis and ensured that the South African middle order was not allowed to settle or score freely.
Lara Goodall was the best batter in South Africa and fell short of what would have been her second ODI half-century, but just one more player, stand-in captain Sune Luus got more than 12 .South Africa had just one partnership over 20 runs thanks to Goodall and Luus, who put forward 60 for the third wicket, and their last six wickets fell for 44 runs.
In contrast, a second-wicket stand was worth India’s 138 loss and both Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut reached half-centuries and were virtually trouble-free at center. They invaded South Africa and took Shabnim Ismail for 46 runs in six innings to put themselves on a bowling club that did not have enough runs to work with.
Mandhana Ismail hit for six backs in the first inning, both off short balls. Her first look, swivel-pull, was pretty strong but she had a second, as high above the graceful leg suggested that Ismail’s offensive line might work. He did, but against Jemima Rodrigues, who tried to pull on the stump of his leg in fifth place. That gave South Africa a sniff, but that was just about what they got.
Mandhana had a chance to run out in the next round but Ismail did not direct a direct blow and Mandhana got an inside edge off Marizanne Kapp only as far as her cap. After that, she had control.
She moved with authority and perfected the ball to give Raut time to get inside. It took 31 balls before Raut found the end, when she charged Nonkululekho Mlaba and went over the middle of a wicket, then danced down the path to hit it. through medium-off. Mandhana lifted his fifty off 48 balls with a high shot through the covers and led India to 100 runs in 21 innings.
Raut should have been out in the next step when she arrested Ayabonga Khaka for a long time but Nadine de Klerk took over. Mandhana should have been out after that when she went out to midfield near Luus, but the delivery was considered a ball for height. Unable to create more chances for South Africa, Raut went on to reach fifty off 79 balls with a ramp bullet and freed his arms to find the boundary twice more but left her for Mandhana to hit the winning scratches with a straight scratch down the ground.
Eventually, it was as easy as possible for Mandhana and Raut to set up a bat with Indian archers, who were well ruled by captain Mithali Raj who brought back sailors at crucial times.
Goswami was struck in her first instance when Lizelle Lee missed a flick, was hit on the block in front of the middle and her leg and was taken out lbw for South African teeth. early. Her opening partner, Laura Wolvaardt, followed shortly after when she kissed at Joshi’s delivery that moved away and gave the outer edge to leave South Africa 20 for 2 inside six pets.
They could have been in a lot more trouble early after Luus gave Rodrigues a difficult chance at a cry, which she couldn’t hold on to, and lb Deepti Sharma’s claim against Luus was rejected, because to sweep.
Luus continued to play the bullet and survived through another lbw appeal twice later, but then switched to using her legs and going down the path to attack. make the spinners. She put Sharma over her head for four and then pulled back boundaries where Poonam Yadav opened over. Luus and Goodall pitted against Gayakwad so Raj went back to Joshi and the move paid off.
In the 21st over, Joshi found the same move away as she had with the new ball and managed to drive Luus wide delivery to give Sushma Verma a simple grip. Goodall should have been out in the next step when she made a mistake with a googly Yadav and got a real start but Goswami’s dive effort at the short leg was not short enough to put him on his way. Instead, it was Mignon du Preez who suffered the most. She was deceived by a flight from Gayakwad and was early on the way giving Sharma a chance at cover. She had to dive down on the right side and hold on.
Goodall built a South African era with one down the ground and two Kapp fours in two views suggested that South Africa could still post a good number if the pair stayed together. But Kapp only stood a ball after the second drinks break, when she watched Goswami push on the side of the leg but got a real start to midwicket. Goodall was in his forties then and heading into a half-century but was launched by Harmanpreet Kaur’s first delivery that took out her middle stump.
Kaur was only used for that one before Raj brought back Goswami to end things. She had caught Trisha Chetty off a ball before taking two wickets in three balls in her semi-final by bowling both Klerk off the inside edge and Ismail, who tried to defend. to make a delivery that moved over her, to end with four. Gayakwad completed the innings on 157 when Chetty capped a long-range sloppot and Mlaba grabbed a catch for his cover.
Firdose Moonda is an ESPNcricinfo journalist in South Africa