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Off-spinner strikes thrice in her first three maiden overs to finish with 3-8 as India women's team defend 130-8 to beat South Africa by 11 runs in 1st T20I
India off-spinner Deepti Sharma
Medium pacer Shikha Pandey broke the partnership by cleaning up Khaka in the 18th over, in which she conceded just one run. After that Deepti conceded eight runs from the 19th over, leaving South Africa to score 18 from six balls. Du Preez began with an inside-out six off left-arm spinner Radha Yadav but was stumped in the fourth ball, tilting the match in India's favour. Earlier, the 15-year-old Shafali Verma was dismissed for a four-ball duck on her much-anticipated debut. She was caught off pacer Shabnim Ismail (3/26), who emerged as the most successful bowler for the visitors with a three-wicket haul.
The South African bowler took the pace off the ball on a slow pitch to make it difficult for the Indians to time the ball. A 46-run stand between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma (16 from 16 balls) seemed to revive India's innings but medium pacer Nadine de Klerk (2/10) removed both of them in a space of three balls to deny the home team a flourishing finish. The fourth-wicket partnership ended when wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee caught Deepti off De Klerk, who also trapped the Indian skipper. After Verma's fall, Smriti Mandhana batted in her usual aggressive manner, scoring 21 off 16 balls with four boundaries before falling to Nondumiso Shangase. Jemimah Rodrigues (19 off 25) and Veda Krishnamurthi (10 off 11) also could not last long at the crease.
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