Johannesburg, 23 April (H.S.):

South Africa’s women’s team have shattered India’s long‑running unbeaten run in bilateral T20 series, clinching an unassailable 3–0 lead with a crushing nine‑wicket victory in the third match at the Wanderers Stadium. The emphatic win not only gives the Proteas a commanding grip on the five‑match series but also brings to an end a two‑year dominance India had maintained in such formats since their last series defeat against Australia in January 2024.

Chasing a competitive 192, South Africa made light work of the chase, reaching 193 for 1 in just 16.3 overs. Captain Laura Wolvaardt dismantled the Indian bowling with a brutal 115 off 53 deliveries, the joint‑third‑fastest century in Women’s T20 International history, while Sune Luus remained unbeaten on 64 off 42, forging a 183‑run partnership at the top. The duo blasted South Africa to 72 in the powerplay, their highest T20I powerplay score, setting the tone for a rout.

India had earlier posted a fighting 192 for 6 in their 20 overs, anchored by a fluent 66 from captain Harmanpreet Kaur off 38 balls and a solid 64 from opener Shafali Verma. Smriti Mandhana added 37 to the early stand‑building, while Renuka Singh provided a late‑order boost with 18, making India’s total look more substantial than it ultimately proved against Wolvaardt’s onslaught.

In the field, India’s attack offered little resistance. Kashvee Gautam conceded 32 runs in two overs, Deepti Sharma went for 46 in 3.3, and Renuka Singh, normally more frugal, leaked 45 in her spell. The only blemish in the script for South Africa came in the 13th over, when Harmanpreet Kaur dropped a straightforward catch off Wolvaardt, an error that effectively turned the game. By the time Shreyanka Patil finally dismissed the captain in the 16th over, the contest was long gone, with the game already in South Africa’s stranglehold.

With the series sealed at 3–0, India now enter the remaining fixtures with pride rather than pressure, as they seek to halt a slide in bowling‑unit performance and rebuild confidence ahead of upcoming multi‑nation slots. For South Africa, the campaign is a statement of intent: a world‑class chase, led by their captain, has emphatically closed India’s era of unbeaten bilateral dominance and written a new chapter in the Proteas’ rise in women’s T20 cricket.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar