New Delhi, May 08,2025 : Riding on Jemimah Rodrigues’ career-best century and half-tons from opener Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, India defeated a fighting South Africa by 23 runs to set up the title clash with Sri Lanka in the women’s Tri-Nation ODI series here on Wednesday.
Rodrigues’ blazing 123 off 101 balls, laced with 15 fours and a six, saw India post 337/9 before the bowlers, led by seamer Amanjot Kaur (3/59) and off-spinner Deepti (2/57), restricted the opponents to 314/7. This despite Annerie Dercksen’s fine 81-run knock and stand-in skipper Chloe Tryon’s 67.
India’s batting prowess came to the fore once again as the 24-year-old Jemimah anchored the team’s innings with her second ODI hundred. She shared two vital partnerships — an 88-run stand off 99 balls with opener Mandhana (51) and a 122-run partnership off 115 balls with Deepti (93). Rodrigues was finally dismissed in the 43rd over caught at point while trying to hit over the offside.
The success did bring cheers to the South African camp but the euphoria was short-lived as all-rounder Deepti took over and played a classy 84-ball innings, studded with 10 boundaries and two sixes. For South Africa, seamer Masabata Klaas (2/51), Nadine de Klerk (2/54) and left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (2/71) were the pick of the bowlers.
With a massive run-chase staring at them, South Africa lost opener Lara Goodall (7) in the second over. But Tazmin Brits (26) and Miane Smit (39) repaired the damage somewhat with a 63-run partnership for the second wicket as the opponents reached 70/2 by the 15th over.
Brief scores: India: 337/9 (Rodrigues 123, Deepti 93, Mandhana 51; Klaas 2/51, de Klerk 2/54); South Africa: 314/7 (Dercksen 81, Tryon 67; Amanjot 3/59, Deepti 2/57).
