Indian opener, Smriti Mandhana, scored a patient and highly skillful century to guide her team a huge total of 265-8 and a comfortable victory by a whopping 143-runs in the first of three Womens ICC Championship ODIs against South Africa at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The South African batters had no answer to the three-pronged battery of Indian spinners who claimed seven wickets between them instigating a slump to just 122 all out in in 37.4 overs in reply with a top score of only 33 from 58 balls by Sune Luus.
𝐂 𝐎 𝐌 𝐏 𝐑 𝐄 𝐇 𝐄 𝐍 𝐒 𝐈 𝐕 𝐄
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) June 16, 2024
🇮🇳 win by 143 runs 🥳💙#AaliRe #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/FbjFNvqjlN
Dubutant legspinner Asha Sobhana was the standout with 4-21 from 8.4 overs but offspinner Deepti Sharma (6-0-10-2) and left-armer Radha Yadav (10-0-32-1) looked almost unplayable against batters who played back more often than forward resulting in three lbws.
Congratulations @BCCIWomen India on defeating South Africa by massive 143 runs in the first ODI at the Chinnaswamy Stadium...!!!! 🇮🇳🇮🇳
— Saabir Zafar (@Saabir_Saabu01) June 16, 2024
Well played, Smriti Mandhana and Asha Sobhana! 👏👏#SmritiMandhana #AshaSobhana #TeamIndia #INDvSA #INDWvSAW pic.twitter.com/bHVnPXTmdh
Having chosen to bat first, left-hander Mandhana batted at an even tempo until the 47th over when her weary legside pull against Masabata Klaas was caught by Luus to see her depart for an admirable 117 from 127 balls with a dozen boundaries and one six.
Deepti Sharma’s booming off-drive against Ayabonga Khaka (3-47) ended with an inside edge onto her stumps for the second highest score of 37 from 48 balls with Khaka having also taken the fifth wicket when Richa Ghosh (3) edged to ‘keeper Sinalo Jafta.
Klaas (2-51) struck an early blow with an away-swinger to opener Shafali Verma (7), duly edged into the gloves of Sinalo Jafta, while Dayalan Hemalatha (12) toe-ended a slog-sweep against left arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (8-0-38-1) to Nondumiso Shangase at mid off.
Debutant allrounder, Annerie Dercksen, claimed her maiden ODI wicket when Harmanpreet Kaur (10) tentatively prodded another away swinger to captain Laura Woovaardt at extra cover while Shangase’s off-breaks claimed the prized wicket Jemima Rodrigues (17) was well caught by Marizanne Kapp close to the mid wicket boundary.
Tazmin Brits (18 off 31 balls) and even the usually fluent Kapp (24 off 39 balls) battled to find any rhythm and by the time Sinalo Jafta struck four fours in her unbeaten 27 from 30 balls the game was long lost.
The series forms part of the qualification process for the 2025 World Cup for which the top five team qualify automatically along with hosts India. South Africa are currently in third place.
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marmanpreet Kaur (captain), Dayalan Hemalatha, Rich Ghosh (wkt), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana, Runuka Thakur Singh.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, Nondumiso Shangase, Sinalo Jafta (wkt), Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka.