South Africa Women crushed India Women by a 4-1 margin to clinch the ODI series. This, despite missing captain Dane van Niekerk and, for two matches, stand-in captain Sune Luus. Jhulan Goswami bowled with pace, Punam Raut grafted out fifties, and the others chipped in with individual performances. But a year’s hiatus from top-level cricket had led to obvious rustiness, especially in bowling, who often seemed ineffective against the well-oiled South African line-up. Here is a report card for the Indian players.
Punam Raut: 8 (M 5, R 263, Ave 87.67, SR 72)
With a hundred and two fifties, Raut held the Indian batting line-up throughout the series. The opening pair has not performed as per expectations, while the lower order has looked, as always, fragile. That explains the ordinary strike rate.
Jhulan Goswami: 8 (M 4, W 8, Ave 17.12, Econ 3.51)
The Indian bowlers took 24 wickets between them. Goswami accounted for one-third of these despite missing a match. She may be 38, but she spearheads the Indian attack, running in and hitting the deck hard, making scoring difficult.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad: 7.5 (M 5, W 8, Ave 20.25, Econ 3.56)
Gayakwad fell slightly behind Goswami in average, but impressed in general. She tossed the ball up, enticing the batters to hit, but the South Africans patiently played her out. India failed to capitalise on her double blow in the final ODI.
Harmanpreet Kaur: 6.5 (M 5, R 160, Ave 53.33, SR 90, W 2, Ave 39.50, Econ 4.88)
Kaur scored 40, 36, 54, 30* in the four innings. The first three came at rapid pace. One cannot help but think she batted a slot too low. Loses half a point conceding two crucial boundaries in the end during the third ODI.
Deepti Sharma: 6 (M 4, R 71, Ave 71, SR 72, W 1, Ave 127, Econ 4.53)
Sharma’s series can be summarised in two neat cameos and some efficient (but not outstanding) bowling. Given how the Indian openers played, she might have been used at the top.
Mithali Raj: 6 (M 5, R 210, Ave 70, SR 68)
You cannot quite find fault with someone who averaged 70 in the series, but that strike rate sticks out like a sore thumb. That number can be befitting of a lesser batter: not Raj.
Smriti Mandhana: 6 (M 5, R 147, Ave 36.75, SR 94)
Mandhana got five two-digit scores for Mandhana but only one in excess of 25, but she looked in touch every time. One can hope the failures do not force her to abandon her approach. In another series she might have emerged as the star of the series.
Poonam Yadav: 4.5 (M 4, W 0, Econ 4.31)
Poonam bowled economically (despite the occasional full toss), but did not quite manage to get what her team wanted most: wickets.
Priya Punia: 4 (M 2, R 50, Ave 25, SR 66)
Drafted in for Rodrigues, Punia neither did not exactly fail, but she consumed too many dot balls to make an impact.
Monica Patel: 3 (M 2, W 0, Econ 4.50)
There are not too many left-arm seamers in women’s cricket. Patel seemed wayward on debut, but impressed in the final ODI. Should get a run.
Dayalan Hemalatha: 3 (M 1, W 1, Ave 44, Econ 4.40)
Her ball to dismiss Sune Luus in the final ODI was probably the best from either side in the series, but she did not pose much trouble to the South Africans thereafter.
Challuru Prathyusha: 2 (M 1, W 1, Ave 60, Econ 6.67)
Gets a point for her maiden wicket, on debut, that too a crucial one. However, she was too erratic.
Jemimah Rodrigues: 1 (M 3, R 10, Ave 3.33, SR 30)
An utterly forgettable series from one of India’s finest. Three single-digit scores in three innings does not do justice to Rodrigues’ potential.
Sushma Verma: 1 (M 5, R 15, Ave 7.50, SR 37 C/S 3/0)
On one hand Verma has been competent behind stumps. On the other hand, she has been the worst batter among wicketkeepers from major nations. Her career average has returned to below 10 again.
Mansi Joshi: 1 (M 3, W 3, Ave 36.33, Econ 5.73)
A lacklustre show from Joshi, who was expected to step up in the absence of Shikha Pandey.
Radha Yadav: 0.5 (M 1, W 0, Econ 7.03)
Radha’s long-anticipated debut turned out to be anticlimactic. However, given her immense talent, it is a matter of time before she delivers.