In the first T20I of the three-match series at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Indian opener Smriti Mandhana's valiant effort was brought to an untimely end by Chloe Tryon.
Chasing a colossal target of 190 set by South Africa Women, Mandhana played a scintillating knock of 46 off 30 balls, filled with seven boundaries and two sixes.
Her aggressive batting had kept India in the hunt, but her dismissal on the final ball of the 10th over was a significant turning point.
IND-W vs SA-W 1st T20I: Mandhana departed for 46 off 30 balls
Chloe Tryon, coming around the wicket, bowled an arm ball that angled away from Mandhana, keeping it out of her reach.
Smriti Mandhana, attempting to loft it over cover, managed only a faint edge, which was safely pouched by the wicketkeeper. This crucial wicket cut short what was shaping up to be a match-winning innings.
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Watch Smriti Mandhana's Dismissal -
The setback didn't stop there for India Women, as Dayalan Hemalatha was dismissed on the very next delivery for a modest 14 off 17 balls, leaving the team in a dismal position.
At the time of writing, India Women stand at 143/3 after 17 overs, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur unbeaten on 21 off 20 balls and Jemimah Rodrigues playing a steady hand with 33 off 21 balls. India needs another 47 runs from the remaining 18 balls to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Earlier in the day, South Africa Women set a formidable total of 189/4, courtesy of Tazmin Brits’ blistering 81 off 56 balls and a brilliant 57 off 33 balls from Marizanne Kapp. Their contributions laid a strong foundation, leaving the Indian bowlers toiling.
Mandhana’s wicket proved to be a costly one for India as despite Jemimah Rodrigues' quickfire unbeaten fifty India ended up falling short by 12 runs.
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