Deepti grabs maiden T20I fifer to carry India to 14-run over SA

Seasoned Deepti Sharma produced a stirring all-round effort, including her maiden fifer in the shortest format, to inspire India’s 14-run win over South Africa in the fourth women’s T20I on Saturday.

South Africa had already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead coming into this match, and they appeared all set to extend the run after restricting India to 185 for five.

But Deepti (5/19), who played a big role in taking India past the 180-run mark with a composed unbeaten 36, grabbed key wickets in the middle phase to impede SA’s run, and limit them to 171 for nine. South Africa raised the challenge through Sune Luus (40) and Tazmine Brits (30), who added 54 runs for the second wicket. But once Deepti castled Luus, India were all over the home side like a bad rash.

Luus was seriously threatening to go big after skipper Laura Wolvaardt was earlier bowled by pacer Kranti Goud.

Apart from Luus, off-spinner Deepti also jettisoned Annerie Dercksen, big-hitting Kayla Reyneke, Tumi Sekhu and Ayabonga Khaka to break SA’s batting unit. 

Earlier, India batters failed to build on their starts against a disciplined set of SA bowlers, posting a slightly below par 185 for five. 

After being sent in to bat, India started off on a shaky note, losing Shafali Verma to Eliz Marx while Anushka Sharma, who came in for rested Smriti Mandhana, fell for 23.

India were 47 for two at the end of the Power Play segment, and needed to move on without losing further damage.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (22) and Jemimah Rodrigues (43) did just that, adding 55 runs for the third wicket in little over six overs.

Rodrigues was impressive, in particular, while smashing spinner Nonkhu Mlaba for 24 runs in the 11th over through a sequence of runs which read 4, 2, 6, 6, 2, 4.

The two successive sixes straight over the bowler’s head were a treat to watch.

But just as India were gaining some momentum, Rodrigues, who was dropped on 18, failed to connect a sweep off off-spinner Reyneke, losing her stumps.

Harmanpreet too looked a million dollars while walloping a six off Marx and four off Chloe Tryon, but Reyneke found the Indian skipper’s outside edge, which was snaffled by Sinalo Jafta behind the wickets.

Deepti (36 not out, 26 balls) and Richa Ghosh (34 not out, 18 balls) added 65 runs for the sixth wicket but they could not always put their feet on the pedal and step on the gas.

But in the last five overs, the pair managed to score 56 runs to give their bowlers something to bowl to.