A remarkable half-century by Shafali Verma in her 100th T20I game was marred by India’s sudden batting collapse, leading to a modest total of 147 in 20 overs against South Africa. Despite a solid start at 99/3, India lost their final seven wickets for just 33 runs, putting them in a challenging position. This collapse shifted the momentum to South Africa, who now need 148 runs to secure a 2-0 lead in the series.
Shafali’s aggressive innings of 57 off 38 balls, including seven fours and two sixes, stood out in an otherwise lackluster batting performance by India. The middle order, excluding debutant Anushka Sharma, struggled to accelerate on a slow pitch, failing to build a substantial total. South Africa’s Tumi Sekhukhune and Chloe Tryon excelled with three-wicket hauls, utilizing slower deliveries effectively.
Tumi Sekhukhune was hit for a six by Shafali in the opening over, setting the tone for India’s innings. While Smriti Mandhana looked fluent with three boundaries before being dismissed by Chloe, Anushka and Shafali tried to stabilize the innings with a 53-run partnership. However, Anushka’s slow innings of 28 off 31 balls hindered India’s progress, while Shafali reached her 15th T20I fifty off 31 deliveries.
Following Anushka’s dismissal in the 13th over, caught at deep mid-wicket, South Africa’s bowlers dominated India’s lower order. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s run-out and quick dismissals of Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and Shreyanka Patil further dented India’s hopes. Despite some late boundaries, India finished at 147, with South Africa now set to chase down the target in the ongoing series.
