A sensational century with twelve fours and one maximum from Smriti Mandhana saw India claim victory in the first of three Women’s ICC Championship One Day Internationals against South Africa at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, on Sunday, 16 June, 2024.
Winning the toss, India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur decided to have bat first. Shafali Verma and Mandhana got off to a steady start before Sinalo Jafta took a fantastic one-handed catch to dismiss Varma (7) off the bowling of Masabata Klaas. Dayalan Hemalatha (12) was sent back to the dressing room when Nondumiso Shangase took a high-ended catch off the bowling of spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba.
At the end of the Powerplay, India were two wickets down and the South Africans were hard-pressed for another wicket. Proteas debutant Annerie Dercksen got the much-needed wicket of the Indian Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (10), that set India back on their heels, on 57/3 in twelve overs.
Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues put on 37-run partnership before Rodrigues (17) was caught by Marizanne Kapp off the bowling of Shangase, when a change in tactics saw Ayabonga Khaka get the wicket of Richa Ghosh (3).
With India on 99/5 in the 22nd over, it seemed as though the momentum had shifted to South Africa, but Mandhana and Deepti Sharma had other ideas.
Their fantastic 81-run partnership was eventually broken 16 overs later by the brilliant bowling of Khaka, who sent the stumps of Sharma (37) flying, leaving India on 180/6 in the 38th over.
Mandhana (117) was the key wicket that the Proteas bowlers were looking for, but Pooja Vastrakar added another 50 run partnership with her before the magnificent Klaas that got the prized wicket. But, with the hosts on 238/7, the damage was done.
India continued to tick on, stealing the one run here and there, and punishing the bad ball. Khaka got her third wicket when Mlaba taking the catch to dismiss Radha Yadav (6) two overs later. Vastrakar was left unbeaten on (31*) along with Asha Sobhana (8*) as India posted 265/8 in their innings.
Ayabonga Khaka was the most economical bowler for the Proteas bowling unit with her figures of 3/47, whilst Klass finished on 2/51. Dercksen, Mlaba and Shangase shared a wicket each.
In response, the Indian bowling attack were destructive from early on, when Renuka Singh bowled Proteas Captain Laura Wolvaardt (4) in the first over, and Anneke Bosch next to fall in the sixth over, trapped LBW off the bowling of Vastrakar.
With Suné Luus joining Brits in the middle, a brief sense of calm endured before the SA opener was dismissed by a diving catch from Radha Yadav off the bowling of Deepti Sharma, leaving South Africa reeling on 33/3 in the 11th over.
Luus and Marizanne Kapp worked to steady the Proteas ship, compiling a hard-fought 39-run partnership before Kapp (24) had to depart in the 22nd over, trying to clear the infield on the offside only to be caught by Kaur off the bowling of Indian debutant, Asha Sobhana.
Total confusion followed in the middle which saw Annerie Dercksen (1) run out by Jemimah Rodrigues, leaving South Africa on 74/5 in the 24th over.
Luus and Nondumiso Shangase put on a 18-run partnership before more drama in the 29 over when India lost their appeal for LBW off the first ball but India, only for Luus to fall on the very next Sharma delivery for a hard-fought 33.
The home side intensified their efforts at the South African batters, and the Shangase and Sinalo Jafta partnership managed to put on 11 runs before Shangase was trapped LBW by the Yadav.
With South Africa stumbling on 103/7 after 33 overs and India needing just 3 more wickets, India could smell victory as the Proteas fought to hand on.
Jafta and Masabata Klaas tried hard but it was the spin bowling master class that troubled the batters. Asha Sobhana bowled her best figures of 4/21 as she destroyed the South African tail end. South Africa was bowled out for 122, awarding India a victory by 143-runs.
India lead the ODI Series 1-0, with both teams returning to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday for the second encounter, with the match set to start at 10h00.
“Obviously not sure what to expect. I’ve never been to Chennai before, the play against spin will be crucial,” concluded Wolvaardt. “Will be nice to see how we play and adapt to spin over long periods of time. And I’m very excited for it.”
Fixtures and Results of the Proteas Women’s Outbound Tour to India, from 16 June – 9 July 2024
One-Day Warm-Up (M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru)
Thu 13 June: Board President’s XI vs South Africa (No result)
ICC Women’s Championship One-Day International Series (M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru)
Sun 16 June: India beat South Africa by 143 runs
Wed 19 June (10h00) 2nd IWC ODI: India vs South Africa
Sun 23 June (10h00) 3rd IWC ODI: India vs South Africa
One-Off Test (M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai)
Fri 28 Jun – Mon 1 Jul (06h00) India vs South Africa
T20 International Series (M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai)
Fri 5 Jul (15h30) 1st T20I: India vs South Africa
Sun 7 Jul (15h30) 2nd T20I: India vs South Africa
Tue 9 July (15h30) 3rd T20I: India vs South Africa
* All times are South African Standard Time (SAST)
Proteas Women ODI and Test Squad – Outbound Tour to India (16 June – 9 July)
Laura Wolvaardt (Captain) (Fidelity Titans)
Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans)
Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions)
Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province)
**Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers)
**Mieke de Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers)
Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions)
Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province)
Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions) (ODI Squad Only)
Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans)
Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans)
*Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans)
Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions)
*Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
Delmi Tucker (World Sports Betting Western Province)
* Uncapped Test player | **Uncapped Test and ODI player
Main Photo Caption: Former SA skipper Suné Luus top-scored for South Africa in their defeat to India in the first of three Women’s ICC Championship ODIs’s at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, on Sunday, 16 June, 2024. Photo: Cricket South Africa
Photo 2 Caption: Masabata Klaas induced an edge to claim opener Shafali Verma’s wicket, brilliantly caught by Sinalo Jafta, in the 4th over of India’s innings. Photo: Cricket SA
Photo 3 Caption: Proteas debutant Annerie Dercksen earned her first ODI wicket when she had Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur caught in the covers. Photo: Cricket South Africa
Photo 4 Caption: Proteas suffered a humbling defeat in their opening ODI of a long tour, and will be keen to make amends in the next fixture on Wednesday. Photo: Cricket South Africa
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