IND-W vs SA-W Highlights, 2nd T20I: Rain Plays Spoilsport as South Africa Maintains Series Lead

IND-W vs SA-W Highlights, 2nd T20I: Rain Plays Spoilsport as South Africa Maintains Series Lead

The much-anticipated second T20I between India Women and South Africa Women at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai ended in disappointment as persistent rain led to the match being called off. South Africa, leading the series 1-0, posted a formidable 177/6 in their allotted 20 overs before the weather intervened.

Key Highlights:

Innings Break: South Africa's Strong Start

South Africa, opting to bat first, set a solid foundation with a quick start. Laura Wolvaardt's early aggression helped the visitors to 66/1 at the end of the powerplay. Tazmin Brits, continuing her fine form, anchored the innings with a crucial half-century, supported by Marizanne Kapp's steady batting.

Middle-Over Squeeze: Deepti Sharma Shines

India's bowlers, especially Deepti Sharma, made a commendable comeback during the middle overs. Deepti's disciplined bowling yielded figures of 2/20 in her 4 overs, putting brakes on South Africa's scoring rate. Radha Yadav and the rest of the bowling unit managed to control the flow of runs, restricting South Africa to 65 runs between overs 7 to 16.

Fielding Improvement: Mixed Fortunes

India's fielding saw marked improvement from the first T20I, with sharper ground fielding and fewer errors. However, a crucial dropped catch by Jemimah Rodrigues in the last over allowed Annerie Dercksen to hit three consecutive boundaries, boosting South Africa's total.

Rollercoaster Debut: Uma Chetry's Night

Debutant wicketkeeper Uma Chetry experienced a night of highs and lows. Her initial celebration of stumping Tazmin Brits was overturned due to a marginal error, but she later redeemed herself with an official stumping off Deepti Sharma's bowling. Despite the early mishap, Chetry's resilience and positive attitude were commendable.

Weather Woes: Match Abandoned

Unfortunately, rain disrupted the start of India's innings. Despite hopes for a resumed play, the weather showed no mercy, leading to the match being officially abandoned at 9:55 pm. The cutoff time for a 5-over game passed, leaving fans and players disappointed.

Conclusion:

With the second T20I washed out, South Africa maintains their 1-0 lead in the series. Both teams will now look forward to the third T20I, hoping for better weather and an exciting contest. Stay tuned for more updates and live scores as the series progresses.

Reference

• India vs South Africa Women's Cricket Match - Sportstar
• India Women vs South Africa Women 2nd T20I - Hindustan Times
• INDW vs SAW: Middle-over Bowling Improvement - Indian Express
• India Women vs South Africa Women 2nd T20I Match Report - ESPNcricinfo

Check out the above links for more details