The fifth match of the Women’s T20I tri-series that features India, South Africa, and the West Indies will be played on January 28 between India and South Africa at Buffalo Park in East London, South Africa.
While India will play their third game in the competition, having won both their previous two encounters against South Africa and West Indies, South Africa will feature in their fourth, having won two against West Indies and lost one against India.
Head-to-Head
India and South Africa have played 14 T20Is against each other, out of which India have won nine, South Africa have won four, and one match did not produce a result.
Squads
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Radha Yadav, Renuka Thakur, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Sushma Verma (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar, S Meghana, Sneh Rana, Shikha Pandey
South Africa: Suné Luus (c), Chloé Tryon (vc), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Tebogo Macheke, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Delmi Tucker, Laura Wolvaardt
Players to watch
Smriti Mandhana:
The stylish left-handed opening batter and vice-captain of India bagged the player of the match award in her last fixture against West Indies. The southpaw smashed an undefeated 74 off 51, hitting 10 boundaries and a six. She stitched a 115-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur for the third wicket.
Deepti Sharma:
The wily right-arm off-spinner of India opened the bowling with Shikha Pandey in her last encounter against West Indies. She claimed 29/2 in four overs and was the most successful bowler for her side. Besides her bowling, she can be more than a handy middle-order batter.
Tazmin Brits:
The right-handed opening batter of South Africa won the player of the match award in her last outing against West Indies. She muscled an unbeaten 50 off 43, including seven boundaries and a six. She put together 98 runs with her opening partner, Laura Wolvaardt, to steer her side to a 10-wicket win.
Tumi Sekhukhune:
The right-arm seamer of South Africa was the pick of the bowlers in her last match against West Indies. She scalped 24/2 in four overs, striking in the ninth and 11th overs. She bowled well in the middle phase of the innings and accounted for 12 dot balls.
Pitch
It will be the fifth match of the tournament at the venue. Out of the four games played here, the teams batting first have won three, and the teams batting second have won one. The surface looks good for batting. However, the windy conditions could assist the bowlers, making batting a bit challenging.
Weather
The weather is expected to see low clouds and be increasingly windy. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 24 degrees Celsius. There will be a 92 percent cloud cover and a 21 percent chance of rain. The wind will blow from the southwest.
Fantasy Playing XI
Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Deepti Sharma, Masabata Klass, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune
Match details
Date: January 28, 2023
Time: 10.30 PM IST (7 PM LOCAL)
Venue: Buffalo Park, East London, South Africa
Live streaming: Star Sports Network
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.