Pacer Pooja Vastrakar claimed her best figures of 4/13, and Smriti Mandhana’s unbeaten 51 helped India to a 10-wicket victory in the final women’s T20I to make the series 1-1. Radha Yadav’s 3/6 helped bowl out the South African team for 84. With 55 balls to spare, India chased 85. Mandhana’s big hit ensured India’s biggest triumph over South Africa in the shortest format of the game.
Vastrakar’s 4/13 & Smriti Mandhana’s 50
Pacer Pooja Vastrakar stole the show with her career-best 4/13. Then, Smriti Mandhana dazzled with the bat, scoring an unbeaten half-century. India crushed South Africa by 10 wickets in the third and final women’s T20 International, leveling the series 1-1 in Chennai on Tuesday.
Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav also shone, taking 3/6 from her three overs. India bowled out South Africa for just 84 in 17.1 overs after choosing to bowl. Chasing a small target of 85, India won with 55 balls to spare and without losing any wickets. Mandhana and Shafali Verma remained out at 54 and 27, respectively.
Mandhana sealed the victory with a six off Nadine de Klerk, as India reached 88 for no loss in 10.5 overs. This win marked India’s biggest victory over South Africa in this format, both in terms of wickets (10) and balls to spare (55).
Explosive Batting Leads India to Victory
Smriti Mandhana was in top form towards the end of the chase. She hit a six in the 10th over, followed by two fours and another six in the next. This was her 24th T20I half-century. The Indian openers played smart cricket, scoring 40 for no loss by the end of the powerplay. South Africa used five different bowlers during this phase but couldn’t break through.
Smriti Mandhana and Verma then went for big shots to finish the game quickly. Smriti Mandhana struck eight fours and two sixes in her 40-ball innings, while Verma hit three fours from 25 balls. South Africa had won the first match by 12 runs. The second T20I was washed out on Saturday. Earlier, only three South African batters reached double digits.
Tazmin Brits top-scored with 20 off 23 balls. Openers Laura Wolvaardt (9 off 9 balls) and the Brits managed just 19 runs for the first wicket. Shreyanka Patil dismissed Wolvaardt in the fourth over.
India’s Bowling Brilliance Restricts South Africa
Brits and Marizanne Kapp put on 11 runs for the second wicket. India employed as many as four different bowlers in the first four overs of the match. Kapp was dismissed in the fifth over to be Vastrakar’s 50th T20I scalp. The Brits followed soon, caught by Deepti Sharma in the eighth over, and South Africa was at 45 for three.
Deepti also dismissed Chloe Tryon in the same way. India’s fielding was a major letdown in this series, while South Africa could not put together good batting partnerships. They were 61 for two in the 11th over, and Vastrakar was getting the better of the wicket. The wicket had some uneven bounce and a little spin, and when there was a bit of moisture because of the rain, Vastrakar got some movement.
The last five wickets in South Africa could score only 23 runs. The visitors were unable to cope with the disciplined bowling and aggressive batting of the Indian team. While the losing side was unable to mount a comeback, they will look to learn and bounce back for their next match. Conversely, the winners hope to continue to build momentum. However, as mentioned, fielding needs to drastically improve if they are to avoid potential letdown losses in the future.
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