ABOUT THE MATCH
India can take firm control of their WT20i series against South Africa at Surat’s Lalabhai Contractor Stadium if they can win the second game of the five-match showdown. The match takes place on September 26.
India won the first game, after Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored in their total of 130/8 before Deepti Sharma’s 3-8 from four overs helped bowl South Africa out for 119 in reply. It ended a run of seven consecutive defeats in WT20i matches for India.
South Africa have won their last two bilateral WT20i series, but Mignon du Preez’s half-century – after Shabnim Ismail claimed 3-26 from her four overs – was not enough to make a winning start to this series last time out.
TOSS PREDICTION
India was asked to bat first last time out and, despite being successful in doing so, Harmanpreet Kaur might elect to field first if she wins the toss this time.
PITCH AND CONDITIONS
As with the first game, scattered thunderstorms are forecast earlier in the day, though there may still be a fair bit of rain around when this game is scheduled to start too. The forecast has the chance of rain at 56 percent throughout the evening, and there is not much wind to clear it either.
Surat favored the bowling last time out, in the first international to be played at the ground. It already looks to be serving up a grippy surface on which the spin bowlers can pick up wickets.
PROBABLE PLAYING XI OF INDIA WOMEN
Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Anuja Patil, Radha Yadav, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Poonam Yadav, Shikha Pandey
PROBABLE PLAYING XI OF SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN
Lizelle Lee (wk), Tazmin Brits, Laura Wolfvaardt, Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez, Sune Luus (c), Shabnim Ismail, Nondumiso Shangase, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba
MATCH PREVIEW
INDIA WOMEN
- Shafali Verma made her WT20i debut last time out and could be given another chance to stake her batting claim despite being dismissed in the first over last time out.
- Anuja Patil and Arundhati Reddy were among the players missing last time out, and one of them could replace Pooja Vastrakar after her solitary opening over went for 18 runs last time out.
- Victory in the first game of this series was India’s first in eight WT20i matches.
- Defeat in the World T20 semi-final had been followed by two consecutive 3-0 series whitewash defeats against New Zealand and India.
- Deepti Sharma got them out of that rut, however, her 3-8 from four overs proving vital as India bowled South Africa out for 119 to win the first game of this series by 11 runs.
SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN
- With Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp unavailable, Nonkululeko Mlaba made her WT20i debut last time out, while Ayabonga Khaka also made her return to the team.
- Experience is provided by the likes of Lizelle Lee, Mignon du Preez and captain Sune Luus, meanwhile.
- South Africa came into this series after having had to come from behind to beat Pakistan last time out and, if they are to win this one, they will have to come from behind again.
- Shabnim Ismail’s 3-26 and 0-10 from four overs by Ayabonga Khaka helped restrict India to 130/8 in the opening game, but they lost wickets too regularly in the reply.
- Mignon du Preez gave them hope with 59 from 43 balls but eventually succumbed to 119 all out in the final over.
PROBABLE WINNING TEAM:
India got back to winning ways last time out and can now take firm control of this series by winning the second match too.
Click Here for Fantasy Picks.
