India registered a hard-fought win over South Africa in the second match of Women’s Tri-Nation ODI Series 2025 played today (29th April) at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
Opting to bat first, India got off to a superb start as the opening pair Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal built yet another 50-plus partnership for the first wicket.
Rawal continued her brilliant run in India colors and went onto become the fastest to get to 500 runs in Women’s ODIs.
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She was complemented well by Mandhana (36) and Harleen Deol (29), but both missed out on converting their starts into a big one. Rawal made valiant 78 runs off 91 balls with 7 fours and a six.
Jemimah Rodrigues also played an impactful knock of 32-ball 41 and so did Richa Ghosh who smashed 24 off 14.
The skipper Harmanpreet Kaur looked very scratchy and struggled to pick the variations during the slog overs. She made unbeaten 41 runs off 48 balls with 4 fours.
South Africa got off to a superb start in the run-chase with their openers – Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt forging a 140-run stand.
Brits was scoring at run-a-ball to keep her team in the game. She got a couple of reprieves (on 51 and 67) and punished the Indians by notching up her third ODI hundred.
Just when she started to up the ante, she walked off retired hurt on 108 and that turned out to be a big moment in the contest. The Indian bowlers kept it tight and picked wickets at regular intervals.
Annerie Dercksen looked in good touch as she kept finding boundaries to keep South Africa in the hunt. But Sneh Rana turned the match on its head with a terrific spell in the later part of the innings.
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She removed Chloe Tryon in her 9th over and followed it with a three-wicket over which included the wickets of de Klerk, Dercksen and Brits.
South Africa needed 25 off the last two overs but had only two wickets in hand and India effected a couple of run-outs to win the contest by 15 runs.
Brief Scores
India – 276/6 (50) Pratika Rawal 78, Jemimah Rodrigues 41, Harmanpreet Kaur 41*, Smriti Mandhana 36, Harleen Deol 29, Richa Ghosh 24, Nonkululeko Mlaba 2/55
South Africa – 261 (49.2) Tazmin Brits 109, Laura Wolvaardt 43, Annerie Dercksen 30, Sune Luus 28, Sneh Rana 5/43
Result – India won by 15 runs
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