Johannesburg: South Africa Women put on a powerful batting display to chase down 193 against India Women in the third T20I, winning by 9 wickets at The Wanderers. The result gave the Proteas an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with two matches still left to play.
The chase turned into a one-sided affair after South Africa got off to a flying start and never really slowed down. They completed the target in just 16.3 overs. It was their highest successful chase in T20I cricket and the third-highest overall in women’s T20Is.
Wolvaardt leads from the front
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The match belonged to South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, who played a brilliant innings of 115 runs off just 53 balls. It was her highest score in T20 internationals. She finished with a strike rate of 216.98 and hit 14 fours and 5 sixes.
She had an early life in her innings when Smriti Mandhana dropped her on 31 in the fourth over. She made full use of that chance and went on to take control of the game from there.
She built a massive opening stand of 183 runs with Sune Luus, who played unbeaten on 64 off 42 balls. The partnership completely shut India out of the contest as the bowlers struggled to find any breakthrough or control the flow of runs.
India also conceded 12 extras, which added to their problems in the field.
Shreyanka Patil picked up the only wicket for India and dismissed Wolvaardt in the 16th over, but by then the game was already out of reach. South Africa finished at 193/1, closing out a dominant chase.
India’s strong start with the bat
Earlier in the day, India had put up a solid batting effort of their own after being asked to bat first. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Shafali Verma led the way with fluent half-centuries.
Shafali continued her strong run of form with another attacking innings at the top of the order, giving India a fast start. After her first two matches, Harmanpreet found her rhythm and anchored the innings with a well-paced 66 off 38 balls.
Her knock included 7 fours and 3 sixes, and she mixed aggressive shots with smart strike rotation to keep India’s innings moving at a pace.
India ended their innings at 192/4, a total that looked competitive at the halfway stage but proved far from enough once South Africa began their chase.
A chase that changed the series
South Africa’s batting display turned the match after the first few overs and set the tone for the rest of the innings. With this win, they not only sealed the series but also heighted their growing strength in T20 cricket with one of their most dominant chases at home.
