Richa Ghosh played a blinder in Vizag as her breath-taking counter-attack took India from 153/7 to 251 to give the Women in Blue a fighting chance in this game. The spinners of South Africa strangulated India with Chloe Tryon leading the way with 3 wickets and Mlaba picking up 2 wickets as well. This game is evenly poised and now can go either way although dew is taking effect now in Vizag.
Pratika Rawal & Smriti Mandhana gives India a solid start in the powerplayÂ
Put into bat first, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana came out to bat for India while Marizanne Kapp had ball in hand for South Africa. Rawal got off the mark straightaway as she glanced it fine to the fine leg fence off Kapp. Rawal then punched off the backfoot through the gap between covers and backward point for a boundary. Ayabonga Khaka came onto bowl from the other end. Khaka bowled a good decent over. Kapp continued and kept things under check.
Rawal broke the shackles as she guided the ball behind square for a boundary. Kapp continued and may have got Rawal but she overstepped. The free hit went for a boundary as Rawal slogged it to the square leg fence. She then hit a delightful square drive past backward point for a boundary. Khaka continued and bowled a miserly over. Kapp continued and kept things under check.
Mandhana joined in the fun finally as she used her feet to hammer Khaka down the ground for the maximum. Kapp continued and bowled another decent over. Nadine de Klerk was introduced into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. Mandhana welcomed her with a boundary by pulling it over midwicket region for a boundary. The 50 came up and of the partnership in 9.1 overs. Nadine kept things under check after that as India reached 55/0 in 10 overs at the end of the mandatory powerplay.
South Africa strike back with regular wickets to push India in tatters at 100/5 in 25 overs
Spin was introduced into the attack next as Nonkululeko Mlaba came into the attack. Mlaba struck straightaway as she removed Mandhana for 23 off 32 balls with one four and one six to her name. Mlaba tossed it up nicely on the stumps, Mandhana tried to get underneath this one and tonk it over long-on but got it off the bottom of the bat. Luus stationed on the boundary and came in few yards to take the safe catch. Harleen Deol came out to bat next. She got off the mark with a brace.
Nadine continued and bowled a miserly over. Mlaba too kept things under check. Deol broke the shackles as she hit de Klerk by square driving it firmly past Bosch for a boundary. Mlaba kept things tight as India reached 71/1 in 15 overs when the umpires called for the first Drinks Break. Nadine continued after the break and bowled a miserly over. Mlaba gifted 5 wides away as a bonus to the batting side. Mlaba got her second wicket as she dismissed Deol for 13 off 23 balls with a boundary to her name.
Mlaba bowled a good length delivery drifting back on the leg stump line and turned further away. Deol pressed forward pretty early playing the wrong line all over. She got beaten on the outside edge with the ball crashing into the middle stump. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came out to bat next. Tumi Sekhukhune came into the attack next. She started her spell with a quiet over. Mlaba continued and bowled another tight over.
Sekhukhune struck for the Proteas as she removed Rawal for 37 off 56 balls with 5 fours to her name. She bowled a fuller delivery much slower than the previous one. Rawal leaned forward trying to flick the ball into the leg side but it stuck in the surface and took the top edge. It lobbed up in the short midwicket region where Brits took the catch. Jemimah Rodrigues came out to bat next as India reached 91/3 in 20 overs.
Chloe Tryon came into the attack next. She struck straightaway as she removed Rodrigues for a duck. Tryon bowled on a length and at the leg stump line which looked to be going straight. Jemimah went for the sweep and missed as the ball hit her front pad. Appeal and the finger went up. Jemimah reviewed in hope and saw Umpire’s call on hitting the stumps. The review was retained but she had to go back to the hut. Deepti Sharma came out to bat next. Sekhukhune continued and bowled another tight over. Tryon continued and kept things under check.
Sekhukhune bowled another quiet over. The 100 came up for India in 24 overs. Tryon got into the act and got another wicket as she dismissed Kaur for 9 off 24 balls. Tryon bowled on a length just outside the off-stump turning away. Kaur was down on one knee and lunging forward. She used her wrists to drive the ball through the off-side. She ended up slicing it in the air. It was dipping in front of Kapp at backward point who was down on her knee and took the catch inches above the ground. Amanjot Kaur came out to bat next and played out the last few balls of the 25th over.
India were reeling now at 100/5 at the halfway stage of the innings with all to do now.
Deepti Sharma falls; Amanjot and Richa leads India’s fightback before Amanjot falls to leave India at 153/7 in 40 overs
Marizanne Kapp came back into the attack and removed Deepti Sharma for 4 off 14 balls. Kapp bowled a length delivery pitched outside the leg stump. Deepti was tempted to play at that with the bowler targeting her pads throughout the over. She got a tickle on it with Jafta taking the catch on the second attempt. Deepti reviewed in hope and sees the review being burnt. Richa Ghosh came out to bat next.
Tryon continued and bowled a miserly over. Kapp too kept things tight in the middle. Tryon continued and finally Richa broke the shackles as she smashed Tryon down the ground over mid-on for a boundary. Ayabonga Khaka came back into the attack. Ghosh took her on as she played the uppish drive to the left of Luus at mid-off for a boundary. India were 114/6 in 30 overs when the umpires called for the second and final Drinks Break.
Tryon continued after the break and bowled a quiet over. Khaka continued and kept things tight. Richa then swept Tryon away down on one knee and hit it aerially behind square on the leg side for a boundary. Tumi Sekhukhune came back into the attack and bowled another good over. Tryon continued and bowled another miserly over.
Richa then took on Sekhukhune by smashing her over midwicket by going down on one knee and nailing the shot to perfection. Mlaba came back into the attack next. Richa showed cheekiness as she got down on one knee and got it past short fine leg for a boundary. Tryon continued as Amanjot went deep in her crease and late cut it through short third man for a boundary.
Mlaba continued as the 150 came up for India in 38.1 overs. Mlaba kept things tight. Tryon continued as the 50-run stand came up between Richa Ghosh and Amanjot Kaur. Tryon then removed Amanjot Kaur and broke the budding partnership as Amanjot fell for 13 off 44 balls with a boundary to her name. Tryon tossed it up nicely around the off-stump. Amanjot skipped down the wicket and looked to loft it over mid-off. She got it off the bottom part of the bat and failed to get the required timing. Luus from mid-off moved back and kept her eyes on the ball and grabbed it before tumbling on the floor.
Sneh Rana walked out to bat next as India’s score read 153/7 in 40 overs with Richa Ghosh and Sneh Rana at the crease. Big 10 overs were ahead of us. India still on the back foot but are now trying to fight and stay in the contest.
Richa Ghosh’s brilliant counter-attacking 94 takes India to 251 all out in 49.5 overs.Â
Mlaba continued and bowled a miserly over. Nadine de Klerk returned to the attack. Richa took her on and hammered it over midwicket by heaving it away for the maximum. Rana took the attack to Mlaba by hitting a boundary in front of square and got the outside edge past Jafta for a boundary. Nadine continued as Rana played a very fine sweep past the short fine leg fielder for a boundary. Klerk gave away 5 wides as a bonus for the batting side. Ghosh took the attack to Klerk by getting a thick outside edge past the keeper for a boundary.
Richa Ghosh got to her fifty off 53 balls as she was playing the rescue act for India. Mlaba continued as Richa got down on one knee and lunged forward to reverse sweep by clearing Kapp over backward point region for a boundary. She completed 1000 ODI runs. India reached 197/7 in 45 overs. Kapp came back as Richa whacked her over covers for a boundary as the 200 came up for India in 45.4 overs. The 50-run stand came up between Richa Ghosh and Sneh Rana.
Ayabonga Khaka came back into the attack as Rana took the attack to her by welcoming her back as she hit the full toss by swinging down the ground for a boundary past mid-off. Richa then got into the act as she stood and delivered by carting it over point for a boundary. Ghosh hit another boundary by throwing hands at it and went over backward point region for a boundary. Richa then launched a maximum over wide long-off as India got momentum in the innings.
Sekhukhune came back into the attack as Richa was put down in the deep by Nadine de Klerk. Richa then launched Sekhukhune over long-off for the maximum heaving it away. India reached 231/7 in 48 overs. Marizanne Kapp came to bowl the second last over as Rana got a leading edge past the keeper and away to the third man fence. The next ball also got the edge wide off Jafta for a boundary to third man again. Richa was dropped again in the deep at deep midwicket as Bosch dropped her again. Kapp eventually got her wicket as she removed Rana for 33 off 24 balls with 6 fours to her name.
Kapp bowled a short of a length outside the off-stump, Rana waited for the ball to arrive and slapped it straight to Wolvaardt who didn’t have to move a step anywhere. Kranti Gaud came out to bat next. Richa faced Nadine in the final over. She smashed Nadine down the ground over mid-off for a boundary. She hit another boundary through over backward point as she cleared the infield and found the gap in the deep.
Nadine then got rid of Richa for 94 off 77 balls with 11 fours and 4 sixes to her name. Full toss outside off-stump close to waist height. Richa mistimed the pull and picked out the long-on fielder. The TV umpire checked for height and the ball was 4 cms below the waist. Nallapureddy Charani came out to bat at 11. Nadine removed her straightaway for a golden duck. Fuller length ball outside the off-stump line from the bowler. Charani didn’t move her feet and tried to go inside out over covers. Wolvaardt at extra cover sets her sight on the ball and moved across to take the catch. Gaud remained unbeaten on 0 off 1 ball as India finished with 251 in 49.5 overs. 25 extras given by South Africa.
Chloe Tryon was the pick of the bowlers with South Africa with figures of 3/32 in 10 overs. Marizanne Kapp finished with 2/45 in 9 overs. Nadine de Klerk chipped in with 2/52 in 6.5 overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with 2/46 in 10 overs. Tumi Sekhukhune finished with 1/29 in 7 overs. Ayabonga Khaka ended wicketless with 0/47 in 7 overs. South Africa now will need 252 to win off 50 overs.
What Lies Ahead for India and South Africa
India have recovered really well from 153/7 to get to 251 all out in the 50th over. So, they are back in the game. But dew is taking effect and that will play a critical role in this match. This match can go either way. It is Game On in Vizag and the start in the chase will be important. Tough to call a winner at this stage.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: South Africa Strike At Regular Intervals To Leave India In Tatters