Jhulan Goswami, Smriti Mandhana star as India Women thrash South Africa Women by 9 wickets
Smriti Mandhana (80 not out) and Punam Raut (62 not out) hit impressive half-centuries as India Women crushed South Africa Women by nine wickets in the second ODI in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Earlier, Jhulan Goswami (4 for 42) and Rajeshwari Gayakwad (3 for 37) stood out with the ball as the hosts rolled over South Africa Women for 157 in 41 overs.
India Women lost Jemimah Rodrigues (9) early in the chase when she under-edged a short ball from Shabnim Ismail onto her stumps. However, Mandhana and Raut ensured India Women's chase was a breeze, featuring in an unbroken 138-run stand for the second wicket.
The left-handed opener pulled and drove with ease to keep South Africa on the backfoot. In the first over of the chase itself, Mandhana slammed Ismail for consecutive sixes. She then cleared the long-off boundary off Nonkululeko Mlaba in the 12th over as India Women made their intentions clear.
Mandhana never looked in any trouble at all during her stay in the middle, bringing up her fifty in style by pulling and driving Ismail for fours off consecutive deliveries in the 20th over.
At the other end, Raut was slow to begin with. She found her rhythm by skipping down the track to Mlaba and hitting her for a couple of boundaries in the 15th over.
South African bowlers were just going through the motion by then. Mandhana brought up the victory for India Women in emphatic fashion, smashing Nadine de Klerk for back-to-back boundaries to long-off in the 29th over.
With the nine-wicket victory, India Women levelled the five-match series 1-1.
Goswami, Gayakwad shine as India Women, restrict South Africa
Earlier in the day, India Women put up a brilliant bowling performance to restrict South Africa Women to 157 in 41 overs.
Bowling first after winning the toss, India Women never allowed South Africa’s batters to get away. Experienced pacer Jhulan Goswami led the way with 4 for 42. Seamer Mansi Joshi, making a comeback to the ODI team, impressed with 2 for 23 in seven overs.
Left-arm spinner Gayakwad also made a mark with 3 for 37, while Harmanpreet Kaur picked up the wicket of South Africa’s top-scorer, Lara Goodall (49).
Goodall and stand-in captain Sune Luus (36) had put on 60 runs for the third wicket. But once that partnership was broken, South Africa Women’s middle and lower-order faltered; from 130 for 5, they crumbled to 157 all out.
Goswami struck in the very first over of the game as Lizelle Lee (4) missed a flick and was trapped in front of the stumps. The other opener, Laura Wolvaardt, perished for nine when she poked at an away-going delivery from Joshi.
Luus was lucky, as Jemimah Rodrigues could not latch on to a tough chance at gully. She was impressive against the spinners, going down the track to them; Luus got back-to-back boundaries off Poonam Yadav's opening over.
With Luus and Goodall looking in no trouble against the slow bowlers, Indian captain Mithali Raj turned back to Joshi. And the pacer delivered. Joshi got one to move away in the 21st over and found the edge of Luus.
Mignon du Preez (11) was the next to fall, caught by Deepti Sharma at cover after being deceived in the flight from Gayakwad. Marizanne Kapp also perished immediately after the second drinks break, a leading edge off Goswami landing in midwicket’s hands.
South Africa had hope for a competitive total till Goodall was at the crease. However, she was bowled one short of her fifty off Kaur's first delivery, which crashed into her middle stump.
Goswami then swung back into action. After having Trisha Chetty caught off a no-ball, she claimed two wickets in three balls, cleaning up Nadine de Klerk and Shabnim Ismail.
Gayakwad brought South Africa’s innings to a close when Chetty (12) top-edged a slog sweep to long-on, and Nonkululekho Mlaba (0) gave a simple catch to cover.