Indian women eye rare double vs South Africa
CAPE TOWN: Having already taken an unbeatable 2-1 lead, the Indian women’s cricket team look to extend their domination in the shortest format and achieve a rare double series win when they take on South Africa in the fifth and final T20 here on Saturday.
Having won the threematch ODI series 2-1, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led team is ahead in the five-match T20 series after the fourth game in Centurion was washed out.
India were quite clinical in the first two T20 games, which they won convincingly, by seven and nine wickets respectively . But a five-wicket win in the third match kept the series alive for South Africa.
The visitors fancied their chances in the fourth T20 after a strong batting display but rain played spoilsport and the match was abandoned with South Africa on 130/3 in 15.3 overs.
A win will make Harmanpreet and Co the first Indian side to win two series on a single tour of South Africa. It will be a huge milestone after the T20 series win in Australia.
India dominated the proceedings in the first two T20Is before they were brought to earth by the hosts in the third match. Harmanpreet will have to ensure there are no slip-ups.
Mithali Raj has done the bulk of the scoring with consecutive fifties (54, 76) in the first two matches before a rare failure (0) in the third T20I. Her opening partner Smriti Mandhana (28, 57, 37) too has come up with useful contributions.
In the third T20, Harmanpreet was left to carry the team’s hopes on her shoulders with a 30-ball 48 as the middle order collapsed and the visitors folded for 133 in 17.5 overs.
Veda Krishnamurthy made an unbeaten 37 and 23 in the two opportunities she got to bat and she would look to stand up in case there is another collapse.
TASK FOR THE TOP
The onus would be on the top order -- Mithali, Mandhana and Harmanpreet -- to anchor the Indian innings.
In the bowling department, offspinner Anuja Patil produced breakthroughs in the first three matches, emerging the top wicket-taker for India with five scalps. However, she conceded 44 runs from four overs in the third T20 and would look to bounce back.
Spinner Poonam Yadav and young pacer Pooja Vastrakar too have done well with four wickets each. Pooja had to fill the shoes of seasoned pacer Jhulan Goswami, who is injured, and the 18-year-old has delivered, taking wickets in each of the first three matches.
However, newball partner Shikha Pandey hasn’t looked as sharp.