Women’s WC: Richa Ghosh’s impeccable knock carries India to 251 against SA
Visakhapatnam (PTI): Richa Ghosh made a vibrant 94 after another top-order malfunction as India recovered to post a competitive 251 against South Africa in the Women’s World Cup match here on Thursday.
Ghosh’s 77-ball innings (11x4, 4x6) showed her teammates how to make use of a rather easy-paced pitch with her seventh ODI fifty.
The ACA-VDCA Stadium pitch, perhaps, was the best among the three decks — including Guwahati and Colombo — India have batted on yet but they failed to exploit it fully after being asked to bat.
But the beginning was bright as openers Pratika Rawal (37) and Smriti Mandhana (23) added 55 runs in 10.2 overs.
Rawal engaged in some smooth strokeplay, and a flowing cover drive off pacer Marizanne Kapp was the standout shot in her innings.
But Mandhana never looked comfortable out there. She tried to break the shackles with a towering straight six off pacer Ayabonga Khaka but perished soon to left-arm spinner Noku Mlaba.
Rawal and Harleen Deol (13) took India to 83 for one, and the latter's dismissal sparked a collapse, as the hosts lost five wickets for just 19 runs.
South African bowlers’ nagging line, and a hint of turn might have played a part in it, but the Indian batters too were guilty for trying to force the pace before settling in.
Deol fell to a peach by Mlaba as the ball squared her up with its outward turn, but Rawal tried to push pacer Tumi Sekhkhune to leg-side but resulted only a leading edge catch to Tazmin Brits.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur looked to drive spinner Chloe Tryon but another leading edge ended in the hands of Kapp inside the circle.
Jemimah Rodrigues missed the sweep against Tryon and fell leg before and Deepti Sharma was caught down the leg side as India slipped to 102 for six, and were in need of a steadying alliance.
It came in the form of a 51-run stand between Ghosh and Amanjot Kaur (13) as India inched past the 150-run mark.
Ghosh was impressive in pacing the innings, using her power judiciously as a couple of slog-swept sixes gave her the desired momentum.
Ghosh, who was dropped on 76 and 84, fetched her fifty in 53 balls, and thereafter she opened up to put the SA bowlers to the sword as 44 runs came in 24 balls.
Kaur fell trying to accelerate the pace, but Ghosh found another able and stable ally in Sneh Rana (33) as they realised 88 runs off 53 balls for the eighth wicket. Ghosh fell in the last over but she had done her job by then.
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Prasidh, Kuldeep limit South Africa to 270 after De Kock's hundred
Visakhapatnam (PTI): India fought back gallantly through Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav after Quinton de Kock struck his 23rd hundred, keeping South Africa to a manageable 270 in the third and series-deciding final ODI, here Saturday.
India won the toss after judging the spin of the coin incorrectly 20 times in a row. They had little hesitation in inserting the Proteas into bat, a clear indication of dew factor dominating the thought.
After Arshdeep Singh sent back Ryan Rickelton early, De Kock (106, 89b, 8x4, 6x4) struck his seventh century against India and put on 113 runs off 124 balls with skipper Temba Bavuma (48, 67b) as the visitors moved to a healthy position.
De Kock was severe on Prasidh (4/66), who erred on length continuously in his first spell (2-0-27-0). The left-hander biffed the pacer for 6, 6, 4 in his second over to milk 18 runs.
The 32-year-old quickly pounced on anything that was short, and pacers Prasidh and Harshit offered him plenty of feed on his pet areas.
Bavuma was more sedate, and made runs through those typical dabs and jabs, occasionally unfurling a drive of elan.
De Kock moved to fifty in 42 balls, and never let the tempo down reaching his hundred in 79 balls.
India found temporary relief when Ravindra Jadeja induced a false slash from Bavuma to get caught by Virat Kohli at point.
The tourists got another move on through a 54-run partnership between De Kock and Matthew Breetzkle for the third wicket, and at 168 for two in 28 overs they were in a good position to press on.
But Breetzke's punishment of part-time spinner Tilak Varma forced a rethink in the Indian camp, as skipper KL Rahul brought back Prasidh for a second spell.
What a masterstroke it turned out to be! The Karnataka man broke the back of South Africa’s top and middle order in an exceptional second spell (4-0-11-3).
Breetzke was the first man to go, trapped plumb in front with a straight one and four balls later Aiden Markram uppishly chipped a fuller delivery to Kohli at short covers.
Prasidh soon castled De Kock, whose ugly cross-batted swipe failed to connect a full length delivery from the pacer.
All of a sudden, SA found themselves at a shaky 199 for five, losing three wickets in the space of three overs.
Once Prasidh was done away with the top and middle-order, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep (4/41) took over and mopped up the tail as SA fell short of even a par total on this track.
