IND-W vs SA-W 2nd T20I Highlights: South Africa defeat India to take 2-0 lead in series
IND-W vs SA-W 2nd T20I LIVE Cricket Score: The Indian women's team will look to bounce back in the second T20I and level the five-match series. The Women in Blue had lost the series opener after failing to defend 157 in Kingsmead.
A rusty Indian side will look to fix their batting issues in the death overs and hope for a stronger showing from their pacers as they aim to bounce back against South Africa in the second women’s T20I on Sunday. India struggled to build momentum in the first game. From a strong position of 119 for 2 in the 15th over, they slipped to 157 for 7 — a total South Africa chased comfortably with five balls remaining, powered by captain Laura Wolvaardt’s 59 off 39 deliveries. The visitors had started brightly, with Shafali Verma scoring a quick 34 off 20, but her opening partner, Smriti Mandhana, fell early for 13. Two wickets towards the end of the powerplay slowed India’s scoring rate significantly.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (47* off 33) and Jemimah Rodrigues (36 off 29) rebuilt the innings with a 71-run partnership in the middle overs. However, India couldn’t finish strongly, adding just 33 runs in the final five overs while losing three wickets. Despite winning their last four series, India were erratic with the ball, conceding 14 wides — their second-highest tally in T20Is. The pace trio of Renuka Singh Thakur (0/25), Arundhati Reddy (1/28), and Kashvee Gautam (0/29) struggled to maintain control across their three overs each. In contrast, the spinners were more disciplined, with Shreyanka Patil (2/26) and Shree Charani (1/26) delivering tidy spells. India also faltered in the field, as Renuka Singh and substitute Anushka Sharma dropped crucial catches in the closing stages — an area the team will be keen to tighten up.
South Africa, in contrast, were sharp across all three departments. Laura Wolvaardt laid the foundation for the chase with a composed half-century, while Chloe Tryon and Annerie Dercksen finished things off with powerful hitting in the closing stages. The hosts carried the momentum from restricting India to under 160 into their batting effort, with Sune Luus providing early impetus through a brisk cameo that included three boundaries off seven balls. Wolvaardt then stitched together partnerships of 48 and 52 with Tazmin Brits (10) and Dercksen (44) respectively, ensuring South Africa remained in control throughout the chase. With the ball, Ayabonga Khaka stood out with a Player of the Match performance of 3/16, which included the key wicket of Smriti Mandhana. Tumi Sekhukhune also made an impact with timely breakthroughs, removing both Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues.