India suffered another batting collapse in a meager 156-run chase as South Africa rode on skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s stunning unbeaten 92 to seal a convincing 23-run win and seal the Women’s T20I series 4-1 in dominant fashion.
Wolvaardt, who already has two fifties and a century in the series, hit 11 fours and two sixes in a 56-ball strike and held the bat despite wickets falling around her.
Her late success – two sixes off the last two balls – lifted South Africa past the 150 mark after slowing down in the middle overs.
In reply, India were restricted to 132 for eight, with their experienced batsmen once again failing to deliver.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur worked on 22 off 28 balls while Shafali Verma (4), Jemimah Rodrigues (1) and Deepti Sharma (8) all fell cheaply without much resistance.
South Africa vs India 5th T20I: Highlights | Scorecard
It was left to Bharti Fulmal to put up some fight with a counter-attacking 40 off 30 balls (4×4, 2×6), but the stagnation of India’s mid-overs after a poor start proved costly.
South Africa’s bowlers were disciplined throughout, with Nonkululeko Mlaba leading the charge with an impressive 2/15, including a maiden, and accounting for Harmanpreet. Nadine de Klerk also picked up two goals.
It was a reality check for the WODI champions India ahead of the T20 World Cup in two months’ time as their campaign continued to be marred by frequent XI changes and a lack of consistency.
India got off to a poor start, losing Shafali and Rodrigues in quick succession and slumping to 21 for two from four overs.
Shafali’s attempt to sweep Eliz-Mari Marx found Chloe Tryon at fine leg who held on to the sharp catcher.
Rodrigues followed soon after, mistimed the pull of Ayabonga Khaka, with Tryon again impressing with a well-judged running catch at deep square leg.
With India in trouble early on, Harmanpreet and opener Anushka Sharma tried to recover cautiously.
However, with the required increase in pace, Anushka fell to a well-disguised slower ball from de Klerk to leave India at 38 for three in 7.3 overs. Their 17-run stand consumed 24 balls, adding to the pressure.
Fulmali then brought some momentum to her aggressive stroke play, although Harmanpreet struggled to pick up the pace before being dismissed by Mlaba in the 13th over.
India needed 79 runs from the last seven overs, so the task was steep. Fulmali briefly kept their hopes alive but South Africa continued to bowl at regular intervals and her dismissal in the 16th over effectively ended the contest.
Earlier, India’s spin duo of Shree Charani (2/22) and Deepti Sharma (2/37) turned the game around with timely breakthroughs while Renuka Singh (2/21) stepped up at the death.
Young left-arm spinner Charani dismissed Sune Luus (23) and Tazmin Brits (2) in consecutive overs as South Africa slipped from 70 for no loss in eight overs and lost three wickets in the next four.
Renuka Singh then struck at the death, picking up two wickets in three balls as South Africa looked to break free.
However, Wolvaardt held firm and finished with a flourish as he took on Deepti with back-to-back sixes in the final.
Opting to bat, Wolvaardt was at her elegant best from the start as she took the lead in opener Kranti Goud with two boundaries in the 11-run start.
Barely making a mistake, she continued her brilliant strokeplay against the new ball, including back-to-back fours from Renuka – one driven through mid-wicket and another over sharp point, showcasing her range on both sides of the wicket.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur introduced spin through Charani, but Wolvaardt kept the pace going, striding to the boundary and following it up with a drive around mid-off.
South Africa ended the powerplay at 49 for no loss, Wolvaardt in full control.
India finally broke through when Charani fooled Luus in flight, with Richa Ghosh completing the stumping after a short fumble.
The run rate then dropped sharply and Charani struck again in her next over, knocking the Brits down with a fuller delivery.
Deepti then returned to dismiss Annerie Dercksen for a duck as South Africa lost three wickets for just 14 runs between the ninth and 12th overs, derailing their innings before Wolvaardt’s late surge.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
27 Apr 2026 22:35 IST
