Deepti Sharma delivers as India claim first win over Proteas

Deepti Sharma delivered with bat and ball to give India a 14-run win, their first in the series, over South Africa at the DP World Wanderers on Saturday night.

Sharma, the player of the tournament at last year’s ODI World Cup, which India won, scored a blistering 36 not out, that provided her side’s innings with much needed impetus, propelling them to a total of 185/5.

She followed that by taking 5/20 — her first five-wicket haul in a T20 International — which included the crucial wicket of Sune Luus, who had given SA another rapid start with a 24-ball innings of 40. However South Africa’s middle order, which has seen very little time at the crease in the series, failed their first major test, and the home team limped to 171/9.

Laura Wolvaardt had again won the toss and as she did in the first three matches opted to chase on a chilly Joburg evening.

The Indian innings spluttered along for most of its first half with Anushka Sharma, who replaced Smriti Mandhana at the top of the order, scoring 27, Jemimah Rodrigues, making a sprightly 43 and Harmanpreet Kaur 22.

But other than the 11th over, when Rodriques scored 24 runs against Nonkululeko Mlaba, the Proteas largely controlled proceedings. Their fielding was slightly improved from the third match, although Rodrigues was dropped on 18 by Chloe Tryon, while Harmanpreet should have been run out by Wolvaardt when she had seven.

With Nadine de Klerk rested, Eliz-Mari Marx, who last played a T20I in November 2024, took 2/28 including dismissing the dangerous Shafali Verma in the third over.

Ayabonga Khaka restored to the starting team in place of Ayanda Hlubi offered control and went at less than seven runs an over and until the last over of the innings Tumi Sekhukhune had performed a similar job.

By that stage Richa Ghosh and Sharma had asserted themselves and rapidly changed the course of the tourists’ innings. They scored 63 runs in the last six overs, with 18 of those coming off Sekhukhune in the 20th.

That partnership ultimately proved pivotal as for the first time in the series, the South African opening pair were ineffectual. Wolvaardt was bowled by a beautiful in-ducker from Kranti Gaud for 18 while Luus, who hit five fours and a six, was bowled by the crafty Sharma in the ninth over.

At that stage it became a test for the middle-order, but it was one they didn’t pass. Annerie Dercksen hit one sumptuous six over long off but was bowled by Sharma for nine and then Tazmin Brits, who again looked out of sorts, despite making 30, holed out to long off.

Sharma took her third wicket when she had Kayla Reyneke caught at midwicket, and the match was effectively decided when Tryon was bowled by Kashvee Gautam for nine.

The final match of the series will be played in Benoni on Monday.