Date and Day: 14 October 2019, Monday.
Match 3 – India Women vs South Africa Women.
Time: 9:30 AM IST.
Venue: Reliance Stadium, Vadodara.
After winning the second game, India women have taken an unassailable two-nil lead in the three-match series. The last game is merely a dead rubber and the visitors would be hoping for it to be over soon. South African women team have had a long tour with very little success or positives to show for.
Preview
South Africa women’s team has lost a total of five games across formats on India tour. In the second match of the ODI series, Indian women’s team opted to bowl first, for the second time on the tour South Africa managed to tackle the Indian bowlers well and posted a total of 247 runs on the board. South African batters were solid in the game as many as five batters got starts but only Laura Wolvaardt could go past 50. Laura Wolvaardt scored 69 from 98 deliveries. Laura Wolvaardt along with her opening partner Lizelle Lee scored 76 runs for the opening partnership before Lizelle lee was out for 40 off 54 balls. Mignon du Preez and Lara Goodall scored 44 and 38 runs respectively. For India Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht and Shikha Pandey picked up two wickets apiece.
India women in reply to South Africa’s fighting total of 247 were reduced to 66 for two and would have been in trouble if South Africa would have had another wicket at that stage. But the experienced campaigners in Mithali Raj (66 runs from 82 balls)and Punam Raut(65 runs from 92 balls) came together and stitched a 129 run partnership for the third wicket, which almost wrote down the script for India’s highest successful run chase. Losing both Mithali Raj and Punam Raut in a span of four deliveries did not bother the India team much as the target was within sights. Harmanpreet Kaur scored an unbeaten quickfire 39 to see her team through with two overs to spare.
South Africa would want to leave the Indian shore with at least a win in both formats and third ODI is their last chance. While their batting came through on this occasion their bowling let them down they bowled as many as 29 wides in the second ODI.
Weather and Pitch Report
The weather forecast for the matchday is sunny and we will get to see a full game. The last game saw a good batting pitch and it is highly likely to get better with improving the weather. Spinners are more likely to get purchase from the pitch in this game.
Head to Head
In the previous five games, the Indian women’s team has beaten South African women’s team four while losing one game. India women have fancied batting second and it is most likely if they go on to win the toss.
Played-5, India-4, South Africa-1.
Indian Women’s Squad
Mithali Raj (capt), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-capt), Taniya Bhatia (wk), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Dayalan Hemalatha, Mansi Joshi, Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Priya Punia, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma
Indian Women’s Probable XI
With the series already won Indian women’s team could think of making a few changes to their playing eleven. Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Mansi Joshi, and Dayalan Hemalatha could get a look into the playing eleven.
Mithali Raj (capt), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-capt), Taniya Bhatia (wk), Ekta Bisht/Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Dayalan Hemalatha, Pooja Vastrakar/ Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Priya Punia, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma/ Mansi Joshi
South Africa Women’s Squad
Sune Luus (capt), Trisha Chetty, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Lizelle Lee, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Mignon du Preez, Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp.
South Africa Women’s Probable XI
South Africa women’s team won’t make any changes to the playing eleven though they would be tempted to bring in Nadine de Klerk.
Sune Luus (capt), Trisha Chetty, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Lizelle Lee, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Mignon du Preez, Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp.
Fantasy players
Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Sune Luus, Lizelle Lee, Mignon du Preez, Shabnam Ismail, Poonam Yadav,Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami.
