Apr, 30 2025
India’s Batting Resilience Sets Up Tight Finish
In a contest packed with momentum swings, the India Women turned up the heat on South Africa Women at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium. India kicked off by choosing to bat—a move that paid off, but not before a few shaky moments. Opener Pratika Rawal held the spotlight for India, clocking an impressive 78 off 93 balls. She kept the scoreboard ticking, mixing patience with confident drives, while Jemimah Rodrigues added a fluid 41, anchoring the innings just when wickets threatened to tumble.
The experienced Harmanpreet Kaur took over in the final stretch, guiding India through the last overs with composure. Her unbeaten 41 saw the team finish at 276/6—a total that looked competitive without being out of reach. The South African bowlers, especially Nonkululeko Mlaba and Ayabonga Khaka (both grabbing two wickets each), made sure India fought for every run. The visitors managed to keep run-scoring in check early on, pulling India back after a brisk start, but couldn’t fully contain the lower-order charge.
Sneh Rana’s Spin Undoes South Africa Despite Brits’ Brilliance
When South Africa began their chase, opener Tazmin Brits seemed determined to change the script. She shrugged off early nerves to smash her way to a gutsy 109, lacing the innings with sharp boundaries. The chase looked firmly in South Africa’s control while Brits was at the crease, especially as she soaked up pressure even after picking up cramps that required medical attention on the field. But the momentum shifted dramatically when Sneh Rana took over with the ball.
Rana turned the screws with clever variations and sharp flight. She tore through the middle order, collecting a memorable 5/43—the best spell of her career so far. Each wicket she claimed cranked up the pressure, creating a domino effect as South Africa’s run rate started to wobble. The wickets left too much for the tail to do, and despite a few late swings, India’s bowlers didn’t let the game slip away.
South Africa rung in a change for the match, bringing in 19-year-old Karabo Meso for a debut as the side’s wicketkeeper-batter, replacing Sinalo Jafta. India, meanwhile, stuck to their winning combination from the earlier game, a sign of trust in their settled unit.
Fielding, sometimes overlooked, became a difference-maker. Skipper Kaur highlighted her side’s athleticism on the day, which saved more than a handful of runs—moments that really added up as the finish line got closer. Dives in the deep, sharp throws, and tight boundary-riding meant South Africa always needed that extra bit more.
As it boiled down to the last overs, South Africa’s innings fizzled out at 261 in 49.2 overs, falling short by just 15 runs. The win gives India a major boost in the ODI tri-series, setting the bar for upcoming fixtures and shining a light on both team depth and the magic of tight, hard-fought cricket.