India Women vs South Africa Women, 3rd ODI, Vadodara: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

India Women needed to chase 248, something they had never done before, in the second ODI against South Africa Women, at Vadodara. They won by 5 wickets with 2 overs in hand to clinch the series. This was their fifth consecutive ODI series win in a row as well as their first home series win against South Africa.

Priya Punia and Jemimah Rodrigues, the stars of the first ODI, did not get big scores in the second. It did not matter, for Punam Raut (65) and Mithali Raj (66) controlled the chase well before Harmanpreet Kaur (39*) finished things off in a flurry of boundaries.

The bowling, while not as outstanding as the first match, was tight nevertheless. Shikha Pandey’s (2/38) love affair with South Africa continued, while both Ekta Bisht (2/45) and Poonam Yadav (2/42) bowled with discipline.

The South Africans got a decent total after crumbling in the first match largely due to a 76-run opening stand between Lizelle Lee (40) and Laura Wolvaardt (69), following which Mignon du Preez (44) and Lara Goodall (38) accelerated towards the end.

Unfortunately, their bowlers were far from probing, and as in the first match, gave away too many easy runs.

All in all, India will take field as favourites again.

Head to head

India hold an 13-7 lead here including a 2-1 win in South Africa last year. At home, India have a 4-2 lead.

Key players

Ekta Bisht (India Women): Bisht is not a regular in the T20I side. However, with the T20 World Cup just four months away, she may fancy her chances if she can back two excellent performances with a third.

Lizelle Lee (South Africa Women): Lee had fallen to the first ball of the series, but that innings was sandwiched between a 47-ball 84 in the third T20I and 40 in the second ODI. She can change the course of matches in a short span of time, as the Indians had found out the hard way in the last World Cup.

Likely XIs

India Women: Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav.

South Africa Women: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Trisha Chetty (wk), Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Sune Luus (c), Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Nondumiso Shangase, Tumi Sekhukhune, Ayabonga Khaka.

Prediction

India Women to complete the whitewash.