Brief Scores: South Africa (161/4 in 19.1 ovs) beat India (158/7) by 6 wickets at Old Trafford in Manchester
IND vs SA: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Marizanne Kapp made India pay a heavy price as they suffered their first defeat of the Women’s T20 World Cup. After strong wins over the Netherlands and Pakistan, India went down by six wickets as South Africa held their nerve in a thrilling finish at Old Trafford in Manchester. After the powerplay in the Proteas innings, it seemed India would again choke an opposition with spin in the middle overs, but Kapp had other ideas.
Radha Yadav dropped Kapp twice, and the South African all-rounder made them pay with a superb unbeaten 81 off 45 balls, striking seven fours and four sixes. Kapp had earlier impressed with the ball before producing a match-winning batting performance.
The defeat leaves India needing a strong result against Australia to secure a place in the semi-finals. If India don’t win the game, they could find themselves out of the tournament. Not to forget that Bangladesh are also breathing down heavily on India’s neck with two wins.
Harmanpreet Kaur played her 200th Women’s T20I, becoming the first cricketer to reach the milestone, but could not celebrate with a win. South Africa, meanwhile, have bounced back strongly after their opening loss to Australia, with consecutive victories over Pakistan and India.
INDIA START STRONG, BUT PROTEAS BOUNCE BACK
India’s innings got off to a flying start thanks to Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who took the attack to South Africa’s formidable pace duo of Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail. While Mandhana began cautiously, she soon found her rhythm, striking a pair of classy boundaries off Ismail to put the bowlers under pressure.
At the other end, Shafali was in a destructive mood, combining powerful drives, sweeps and fearless strokeplay to keep the scoreboard ticking at a brisk rate. The pair dominated the powerplay, helping India race to 50 in just 4.2 overs and reach 59 in the first six overs.
Shafali, in particular, looked unstoppable as she blasted 31 off just 15 balls, while Mandhana’s positive start ensured India seized the early initiative.
However, South Africa fought back through their experienced seamers. Kapp outfoxed Mandhana with a clever change of angle, bowling her for 17 after she missed an attempted scoop.
Soon after, Ismail’s short-ball tactic paid off as Shafali edged behind while trying to evade a rising delivery. The wicket was made even more remarkable by the pace of the ball, which was clocked at 122.66 kmph, the fastest delivery of the tournament so far.
The dismissals of both openers halted India’s momentum and allowed South Africa to claw their way back into the contest after a dominant Indian start.
SOUTH AFRICA PEG INDIA BACK
South Africa did an excellent job of pulling the game back after India’s explosive powerplay, keeping the batters under constant pressure through the middle and death overs. Having leaked runs in the first six overs, the Proteas responded with disciplined bowling and timely wickets, never allowing India to build a substantial partnership.
Yastika Bhatia, promoted to No. 3, managed just 15, while Jemimah Rodrigues struggled to find momentum and was dismissed for 12.
Harmanpreet Kaur looked set to anchor the innings despite a brief fitness concern, but Shabnim Ismail produced a crucial breakthrough with a clever off-cutter to dismiss the Indian captain for 24. That wicket shifted the momentum firmly in South Africa’s favour.
Although Deepti Sharma (29) and Richa Ghosh (15) briefly threatened to launch a late charge, South Africa struck again just as the partnership was gathering steam. Nonkululeko Mlaba deceived Deepti with a slower delivery, while Marizanne Kapp removed Richa with another well-disguised change of pace.
The regular fall of wickets prevented India from accelerating in the closing overs. Despite all of India’s top seven batters reaching double figures, none managed a fifty, as South Africa’s bowlers expertly controlled the middle and death phases to restrict India to 158.
Ismail and Kapp were the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets apiece while conceding just 55 runs from their combined eight overs.
CHARANI PUT INDIA ON TOP
Shree Charani completely transformed the contest with a sensational spell that put India firmly on top after a tight, disciplined powerplay. India had already started well, with Shafali Verma taking the new ball in a bold tactical move, backed by Nandni Sharma’s tidy opening over that kept South Africa quiet.
The Proteas openers, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, began cautiously. Wolvaardt briefly lifted the tempo, but India kept them subdued in the first four overs, conceding just 19 runs as the batters struggled to break free.
That pressure set the stage perfectly for Charani, who arrived and immediately changed the game. She first struck by dismissing Wolvaardt, inducing a false shot as the South African skipper drove straight back to the bowler for a sharp return catch. Wolvaardt kept struggling in the tournament after another failure.
Charani struck again soon after, removing Annerie Dercksen for a duck with drift, dip, and sharp turn, as the batter was completely beaten and bowled. The double blow reduced South Africa to 25 for 2 and firmly shifted momentum India’s way.
KAPP PRODUCES A BLINDER
From there on, Kapp took charge and produced a match-defining masterclass to turn the contest firmly in South Africa’s favour after India had made a stunning start. At a stage where India’s bowlers had squeezed the scoring and even created chances, Kapp absorbed the pressure and then shifted gears with remarkable authority.
She began by rebuilding calmly alongside Tazmin Brits (40), using strike rotation and intelligent placement to blunt the Indian attack. Even when India looked set to choke the innings through disciplined spin, Kapp refused to settle.
The dropped chance by Radha Yadav proved costly as she grew in confidence, eventually bringing up a rapid half-century and driving the 50-plus stand that changed the game’s direction.
From there, she dismantled the bowling plans, striking boundaries through extra cover and deep mid-wicket, while maintaining control against spin. Her ability to combine composure with calculated aggression broke India’s grip on the match.
By the end, Kapp had not only steadied South Africa after early setbacks but completely flipped momentum, ensuring the Proteas stayed ahead in a tense chase and ultimately took command of a memorable victory.
– Ends
