• Sportzyverse
• Indian Cricket Team
• 07/06/2024
• 0 Comments

In a closely contested match, dropped catches and a lack of batting intent in the middle overs proved costly for India, who let South Africa claim their first win of the multi-format tour through a 12-run victory in the opening women’s T20I. South Africa had been whitewashed 3-0 in the ODIs and lost by 10 wickets to India during the one-off Test, so this victory felt well deserved for them.

South Africa, put in to bat first, capitalized on India’s fielding lapses and posted a formidable total of 189 for 4, their highest T20I score against India. The standout performer for the visitors was Tazmin Brits, who played a career-best knock of 81 runs. Brits’ innings was marked by resilience and aggression, which helped set the tone for the rest of the batting lineup.

The South African innings was bolstered by significant contributions from skipper Laura Wolvaardt (33) and Marizanne Kapp (57), both benefited from dropped catches by the Indian fielders. Kapp, in particular, was given a revive in the 10th over, and she made the most of it, playing a crucial role in pushing the total to a challenging 189.

In response, India’s innings was marked by a lack of momentum in the middle overs, a factor that skipper Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged in her post-match comments. Despite a promising start, the Indian batters failed to capitalize on the powerplay. They were tied down by the South African bowlers, who bowled a disciplined line and length, making it difficult for the hosts to score freely.

“Dropped too many chances; played too many dots”: Harmanpreet Kaur disappointed with team’s lack of intent and efforts

“We didn’t play good cricket overall and dropped too many chances which cost us 20 runs extras,” Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “While batting, we played too many dots in the middle overs. They bowled well and didn’t give us easy runs.”

🗣 Harmanpreet Kaur reflects on the loss in the 1st T20I against South Africa. #CricketTwitter #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/HWOhkV8EnS

— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 5, 2024

Harmanpreet also highlighted the importance of strategic awareness in the field. “The way we started, we thought we should keep going, but couldn’t because of dot balls. While bowling, we need to be aware of how the batters are batting and should set fields and bowl accordingly.”

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India managed to reach 177 for 4 in their 20-over quota but fell short by 12 runs. Some bursts of aggression characterized the chase, but the consistency and strategic intent required to reach the challenging target were missing. Key players like Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues got starts but couldn’t convert them into match-winning scores.