Smirti Mandhana once again displayed her masterclass, as she steered her team to a 6-wicket victory as India claimed the IDFC First Bank ODI Series 3-0 against South Africa, in the final ODI at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, on Sunday 23 June.
The match was nicely poised as India were chasing a victory for a clean sweep while South Africa were fighting for pride, and the much-needed two points for the ICC Women’s Championships qualification for the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup.
After narrowly missing out on victory in the second ODI, Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt and her team were out for blood from the first ball. Wolvaardt (61), playing in her best form, led from the front, hitting seven fours as she brought up her half-century alongside her opening partner, Tazmin Brits (38). The opening pair put on 102-run first-wicket partnership before Wolvaardt was caught and bowled by Arundhati Reddy, in the 20th over.
Marizanna Kapp came to the crease next but Brits was sent back to the change room just seven balls later after the most dramatic of mixups in the middle, was run-out by Shreyanka Patil.
India didn’t hold back, striking a further 3 wickets for just 39 runs with Anneke Bosch (5) next to fall caught and bowled to Reddy, Kapp (7) falling the same way to Patil, and Suné Luus (13) bowled by Pooja Vastrakar in the 32nd over, leaving South Africa on 143/5.
Nadine de Klerk and Nondumiso Shangase steadied the ship with a 31-run partnership before Shangase (16) was run out by Deepti Sharma.
An emboldened Sharma broke through with the wickets of de Klerk (26) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (0) in the very next over, sending both batters’ wickets flying off consecutive deliveries, and leaving South Africa reeling on 178/8 in the 43rd over.
Fortunately for the SA total, series debutant Mieke de Ridder (26*) and the steady hand of Tumi Sekhukhune (6*) came together for a much-needed 37-run ninth wicket partnership, taking South Africa over the 200 hundred mark to finish on 215/8, setting up an interesting run-chase for the home side.
Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy took two wickets each, with Shreyanka Patil and Pooja Vastrakar taking a wicket a piece as they combined to restrict the visitors to a competitive total.
To start India’s chase after a light spell of rain, Smriti Mandhana – in the form of her life – took matters up from where she left off in the previous two encounters when she and fellow opening batter, Shefali Verma put on a brisk 61-run first wicket partnership before Sekhukhune got the much-needed break through, sending Verma (25) back to the dugout, caught Anneke Bosch.
Priya Punia joined Mandhana and together they put on another 62 runs on the board, slowly ticked away at the target. Punia (28) was dismissed off the bowling of Ayabonga Khaka, with another brilliant from Bosch.
India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur joined Mandhana before Mlaba got the much-needed wicket of Mandhana (90), who fell 10 runs short of what would have been a sensational third century in the series.
With India needing just 45 runs for victory, Kaur played a steady unbeaten innings, with Jemimah Rodrigues by her side. They took those cheeky singles and punished the bad ball, but with the end and a white-wash series in sight, they left nothing to chance.
With just 2 runs required for victory, Kaur was run out by Tazmin Brits, before Richa Ghosh, smashed a maximum to award India a win by 6 wickets, and claim the IDFC First Bank ODI Series 3-0.
Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune and Nonkululeko Mlaba claimed a wicket a piece for the South African bowling unit.
The focus will now shift to Chennai where both teams will contest a one-off Test Match before the focus shifts to the series-concluding three T20I’s.
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: India beat South Africa by 4 runs
Sun 23 June: India beat South Africa by 6 wickets (with 56 balls remaining)
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: South Africa are under pressure ahead of the one-off Test against India at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai starting on Friday, following their 3-nil ODI series loss to India, the final encounter on Sunday when India chased down the asking total of 216 with more than nine overs to spare. Photo: Cricket SA
Photo 3 Caption: SA opening batters Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits put on a healthy opening partnership before the skipper was out c&b Arundhati Reddy. Photo: Cricket SA
Photo 3 Caption: Series debutant Mieke de Ridder (*26) closed out the SA innings a pivotal partnership with Tumi Sekhukhune in the final ODI on Sunday. Photo: Cricket SA
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