During the one-off red-ball Test against hosts India, South Africa showcased resilience in their second innings, achieving their highest-ever innings total of 373 runs in women’s Tests. This effort was supported by Nadine de Klerk ‘s knock of 61 runs, marking her maiden red-ball half-century off 174 balls.
The Proteas faced setbacks in the first innings, with India posting a historic 603/6 declared. Despite this, South Africa showed some fight on Day 1, reaching 236/4, but they were eventually bowled out for 266 on Day 3. Asked to follow-on, South Africa lost the early wicket of Anneke Bosch. However, Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Suné Luus stabilized the innings with a solid 190-run partnership. Nadine de Klerk’s 61 runs helped South Africa end up at a total of 373 in the 155th over, giving them a lead of 36 runs.
Since her red-ball debut against England at Taunton on June 27, 2022, all-rounder Nadine de Klerk had not been as impressive in the red-ball format compared to her white-ball performance, scoring only 14 runs across 3 innings with a high score of 9. Today, she registered her maiden red-ball half-century, ending her innings with 61 runs off 185 balls, including 8 boundaries and a maximum, marking a significant achievement for the Proteas all-rounder. With the ball, she had previously taken 2 wickets across two innings and in this ongoing Test, she claimed 1 wicket for 79 runs.
Despite the challenging first innings and follow-on, the Proteas showcased resilience. In the 155th over, Nadine was dismissed by Rajeshwari Gayakwad, which also ended South Africa’s second innings. This knock of 61 runs was crucial for South Africa, who were trailing by 105 runs, helping them cover the deficit and take a lead of 36 runs. She added support at the lower order, forming several crucial partnerships.
Despite losing the ODI series by a 3-0 whitewash, Nadine scored 54 runs across 2 innings, with scores of 26 and 28 in the 1st and 3rd ODIs, respectively. Her 61 runs in this Test also mark her personal best score across all formats, surpassing her previous high of 60 runs in ODIs.