All-rounder Anneke Bosch beat the Indian women by scoring an unbeaten 66-run knock in the first 48 balls to ensure an easy eight-wicket victory over South Africa’s women in the first T20 International on Saturday. Harleen Deol’s (52) confident international half-century was the only silver lining for an otherwise lackluster performance by Indians, posting a modest 130 for six after being invited to bat. South Africa easily chased the target of five balls, sharing a 90-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Bosch (66 not out) and captain Sune Louis (43 off 49 balls). SA scored 133 runs for 2 wickets in 19.1 overs.
India scored just 26 runs in the last five overs and lost the match again due to lack of power hitters. The Indian bowlers did not put any pressure on the Bosch-Luce pair for long in the match.
After taking 2 wickets for 11 runs during the Indian innings, Bosch hit nine fours and a six in a 48-ball unbeaten innings.
Poor fielding while conceding runs in the field also cost India dearly. India dismissed dangerous South Africa opener Liezel Lee (8), who topped the batting charts in the third ODI along with fast bowler Arundhati Reddy (1/20) and removed them in the third over. But Bosch and Louis, with a solid and flawless batting performance till the 16th over, denied the Indians any other success.
Lee’s early dismissal put South Africa on the backfoot but Luce and Bosch negated the early Indian advantage. Luce hit Reddy for sixes and four consecutive balls in the fifth over as South Africa got 1 wicket in the powerplay overs. Gradually, confidence grew in both as Indian bowlers could not find a way to break the partnership.
South Africa needed 68 from the last 10 overs and kept the tempo running without taking much risk, needing 33 runs from the last five overs. Rajeshwari Gaikwad dropped Luis for failing to catch an easy catch in the 16th over, but the South African captain was dismissed by Deol (1/21) on the next ball.
But by the time Luce was out, the match had tilted in favor of South Africa. SA needed 14 from the last two overs but the equation was down to two from the last over and Bosch hit a four to win the match in style.
Earlier, Dhoni batsman Harleen Deol top-scored by scoring 52 for six in India’s 130. The 22-year-old Deol hit six fours in his 47-ball innings and made a big score of India’s runs after being invited to bat. He shared a 60-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues (30) for the third wicket, helping India take one wicket for 11 after stand-in-captain Smriti Mandhana (11) fell in the second over.
Young talent Shaifali Verma, who was not in the squad for the preceding ODI series, which India lost 1-4, scored 23 runs off 22 balls with the help of two fours and hit a six. Mandhana, who led the team after Harmanpreet Kaur was injured, hit two boundaries off Ann Mlaba in the first over, but in the second over, Bosh was caught at mid-off.
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After the powerplay, India were at 41 for one time and reached 59 for 2 at the half-point. Shafali, who came down with a six on the second ball, could not resist coming down the track but missed the stumps out in the 10th over.
India scored two fours to Deol in the 11th over with 13 runs from Sune Louis. Deol completed the half-century off 44 balls. But as India gave momentum to the innings, in the 18th over, the set batsmen Schaafali and Rodrigues fell in a three-ball gap and that put India in the hopes of posting a big total. Both went for big hits, but did not have the ability to clean the fielders.
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