In a powerful display of batting prowess, the India Women’s cricket team piled on an imposing total during their match in Colombo, underlining their dominance in the ongoing ODI Tri-Series. Facing South Africa Women at the R. Premadasa Stadium, the Indian side showcased a blend of composure, aggression, and teamwork to post 276 for 6 in their 50 overs, a score that proved decisive in securing a crucial victory.
Choosing to bat first on a flat surface ideal for strokeplay, India got off to a strong start thanks to a fluent partnership between openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal. Mandhana, with her trademark elegant drives, contributed a quick 43 before falling to a well-executed delivery, but not before giving India the momentum they needed. At the other end, Pratika Rawal anchored the innings with maturity beyond her years, compiling a well-paced 78 off 91 deliveries. Her innings, filled with classy boundaries and intelligent strike rotation, set the foundation for a big total.
Following the solid start, the middle order capitalized effectively. Harleen Deol continued her consistent run of form, playing a confident knock of 48. Her strokeplay, particularly through the off-side, kept the scoreboard ticking during the middle overs. Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur added important contributions of 33 and 32 respectively, both finding the boundary regularly and rotating the strike with ease. By the time the final ten overs arrived, India had positioned themselves for a strong finish, and they did not disappoint.
Despite a few quick wickets towards the end, the Indian batters kept the scoring rate up, with Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma adding quick runs in the final overs to push the total past the 270 mark. South Africa’s bowlers struggled for consistency throughout the innings, with only Ayabonga Khaka and Nadine de Klerk managing to exert some control during the middle overs.
Chasing a daunting target of 277, South Africa Women began positively. Openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits looked solid at the top, putting together a 101-run opening stand. Brits was the more aggressive of the two, scoring a brisk 65 that included several powerful strokes down the ground. However, once the partnership was broken, India clawed back into the contest with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.
Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, and Pooja Vastrakar played key roles in slowing down the run rate in the middle overs. Tight lines and clever changes of pace kept the South African batters under pressure, eventually restricting them to 225 for 4 in their allotted 50 overs. India sealed the victory by 51 runs, their second consecutive win in the tri-series.