Indian women registered an innings and 34-run win over the visiting South African women’s team in the one-off Test which concluded at the SDNR Wadiyar Platinum Jubilee University grounds here on Wednesday.
Part-time off-spinner Harmanpreet Kaur with figures of four for 41 spearheaded the Indian attack. She was ably supported by leg-spinner Punam Yadav (two for 22) and medium-pacer Jhulan Goswami (two for 21) and helped India bowl out the South Africans for 132 in 78.2 overs on the final day.
Good standResuming at 83 for six, Trisha Chetty and Chloe Tryon batted confidently and negotiated the Indian bowlers well to add 53 runs for the seventh wicket.
India got its breakthrough in the 28th over of the day, when Trisha (35, 158m, 131b, 5x4) snicked medium-pacer Shika Pandey to ’keeper Sushma Verma, which opened the floodgates for the Indian win.
Yolani Fourie (0) was castled by a Harmanpreet delivery and South Africa went for lunch at 131 for eight.
The South African innings came to an end in the second over after lunch, with the fall of the wickets of Sunette Loubser (5) and Marcia Letsoalo (0) to two successive deliveries bowled by Harmanpreet, who returned with impressive match figures of nine for 85 (five for 44 & four for 41). A happy India skipper Mithali Raj said, “it’s a great Test win and I am extremely satisfied with the way the Indian spinners responded to the task, with Harmanpreet, Poonam Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad performing well.”
Mignon du Preez said, “the Indian spinners bowled well and it is a learning experience for the South Africans playing in Indian conditions.”
The scores:
India — 1st innings: 400 for six wkts. decl.
South Africa — 1st innings: 234.
South Africa — 2nd innings: Nadine Moodley b Jhulan Goswami 9, Dan van Niekerk c Sushma Verma b Jhulan Goswami 7, Marizanne Kapp lbw b Rajeshwari Gayakwad 19, Mignon du Preez st. Sushma Verma b Punam Yadav 17, Trisha Chetty c Sushma Verma b Shika Pandey 35, Lizelle Lee c N. Niranjana b Punam Yadav 2, N. Thabethe lbw b Harmanpreet Kaur 0, Chloe Tryon (not out) 30, Yolani Fourie b Harmanpreet Kaur 0, Sunette Loubser c Mithali Raj b Harmanpreet Kaur 5, Marcia Letsoalo c N. Niranjana b Harmanpreet Kaur 0; Extras (b-6, lb-2): 8; Total (in 78.2 overs): 132.
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-26, 3-59, 4-59, 5-62, 6-67, 7-120, 8-121, 9-132.
India bowling: Jhulan Goswami 12-5-21-2, N. Niranjana 2-0-7-0, Harmanpreet Kaur 25.2-10-41-4, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 22-12-26-1, Punam Yadav 15-6-22-2, Shika Pandey 2-0-7-1.