India lost to South Africa by two wickets in a low scoring game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. In a game dominated by the bowlers, the visitors’ No.7 bat, Chloe Tyron took the team to the 115-run target with a half-century. SA now leading the three-match ODI series 1-0.
Earlier, opting to bat first, the India eves were bowled out for 114 by the Marizanne Kapp-led attack. The bowler claimed the India top-order with Tyron claiming VR Vanitha to reduce India to 30/4.
Although Harmanpreet Kaur (31) and Jhulan Goswami (33) attempted to revive the hosts’ innings, the partnership was ended by Dane Van Niekerk leaving India on 93/5. She sent back Kaur for 31 to end the stand which triggered a second collapse.
The remaining five wickets fell for a mere 21 runs. Van Niekerk and Kapp (4/9) finished with four wickets each as they wrapped up the home team’s innings in 38.5 overs.
Defending the total, Goswami gave the first blow in the first over to send back Lizelle Lee before the team could open their account. In the next over the tall pacer castled Nadine Moodley to leave the visitors on 7/2. With two early strikes, the match was hanging in balance.
The Indian bowlers hit back to keep the home team in the game. Kaur bowled the SA captain Mignon Du Preez while Shubhlakshmi Sharma sent back Trisha Shetty in the next. Kaur then followed up with the wicket of Kapp to push the South Africans further onto the back-foot, leaving them struggling at 31/5.
10 overs later, Van Niekerk was trapped leg before by Goswami and at 68/6 Sunette Loubser joined Tyron in the middle. Tyron continued to put up a fight as she strived to negotiate the India attack with the lower-order. But, 29 runs later, Loubser was sent back for one by Sharma and was replaced by Yolani Fourie at the crease.
The middle-order continued to put up a determined effort but with the team two runs short of the target, her resistance ended in a run out. Fourie then helped the team across the line with Marcia Letsoalo.
By: BCCI
