Women’s T20 WC: India face South Africa test in Manchester
India will look to build on their excellent start to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup when they take on a dangerous South Africa side in a Group 1 clash at Old Trafford here on Sunday.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side began their campaign with a commanding 64-run win over Pakistan, with opener Smriti Mandhana and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh providing the batting impetus before Deepti Sharma produced a match-winning spell with a five-wicket haul.
India continued in the same vein against the Netherlands, beating them by a huge margin of 95 runs after an all-round show by the Asian heavyweights.
India, who are still chasing their maiden T20 World Cup title despite five semi-final appearances, will be keen to carry the momentum forward against a South African team known for their aggressive batting and quality bowling attack.
The contest could revolve around India’s top order against South Africa’s varied bowling attack. Mandhana’s ability to dominate the powerplay, coupled with the experience of Harmanpreet, and the big-hitting prowess of Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh, will be crucial, while the Proteas will rely heavily on captain Laura Wolvaardt and their middle-order firepower to put pressure on the Indian bowlers.
Mandhana’s new power game to be tested against SA
Manchester: Smriti Mandhana’s emergence as a more complete T20 batter will be a key talking point when India take on South Africa in a crucial Group A clash of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, feels former pacer, Shikha Pandey.
India have made a strong start to their campaign with two wins from as many matches, but Pandey believes the in-form opening pair of Mandhana and Shafali Verma will face their toughest challenge yet against a quality South African pace attack.
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan’, Pandey said the contest between Shafali and veteran pacer Shabnim Ismail could be one of the highlights of the match.
