• India defeated South Africa in the 3rd and final ODI by six wickets.

  • Deepti Sharma was named the Player of the Match award for her exceptional bowling.

Fans celebrate as Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma lead India to a whitewash over South Africa in the Women’s ODI series
India Women

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The Indian women’s cricket team cruised to a comfortable six-wicket victory over South Africa in the third and final ODI at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday (June 23). Led by Smriti Mandhana‘s record-laden innings and Deepti Sharma‘s impressive bowling performance, India registered a series clean sweep. Mandhana’s commanding presence with the bat and Sharma’s crucial contributions highlighted India’s dominance throughout the match, underscoring their superiority in the series.

Match overview

India, having already secured the series, made strategic changes to their lineup for the final match. Priya Punia returned to international cricket in place of Dayalan Hemalatha, while Shreyanka Patil replaced Asha Sobhana. South Africa also made one change, bringing in Tumi Sekhukhune for Masabata Klaas.

South Africa’s batting effort and India’s restrictive bowling

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, South African captain Laura Wolvaardt continued her remarkable form, anchoring the innings with yet another fifty-plus score. Despite her efforts, the Indian bowling attack, led by the crafty spinner Deepti and the emerging talent Arundhati Reddy, struck at crucial intervals to stymie South Africa’s progress. Their disciplined bowling restricted South Africa to 215/8 in their allotted 50 overs, preventing them from accelerating in the later stages of the innings.

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Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur lead India’s chase

India’s response to the target was anchored by opener Mandhana, who had already showcased her prowess with two centuries earlier in the series. Mandhana played a pivotal role once again, crafting a fluent innings of 90 runs off just 83 deliveries. Her partnership with the experienced Harmanpreet Kaur, who contributed a steady 42 runs, provided the necessary stability to India’s chase. Together, they guided the team to achieve the target comfortably, with six wickets in hand and a significant 56 balls to spare, showcasing India’s depth and adaptability in their batting lineup.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

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