After the success of Wormsley, India Women hosted South Africa Women that Indian winter. The tour consisted of a Test match, 3 ODIs, and a T20I. It began with the Test, at Gangothri Glades Cricket Ground, Mysuru.
Confident India Women dominate visitors
On the England tour, most members of the Indian squad had not only got Test caps, they had also tasted a victory. However, even six months later, they still fielded three debutants, in wicketkeeper Sushma Verma and spinners Poonam Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
South Africa were playing Test cricket after seven years. They had eight debutants – including captain Mignon du Preez, Dane van Niekerk, Lizelle Lee, Chloe Tryon, and Marizanne Kapp – but some of them were already regulars in the limited-overs cricket.
Mithali Raj won the toss and batted first. Smriti Mandhana fell early, caught by Sunette Loubser off Tryon. That was all South Africa could celebrate for a long, long time, for Thirushkamini and Punam Raut batted out the rest of the day. India finished on 211/1, with both batters on exactly 100.
Thirushkamini and Raut stretched their partnership to 275 before van Niekerk dismissed Raut for 130. But Thirushkamini continued, adding 61 with Raj and 40 with Harmanpreet Kaur. She fell eight short of her double hundred, caught behind off Yolani Fourie. This remains the highest score by anyone against South Africa Women.
Raj declared with the score on 400/6. For South Africa, Loubser took 3-90.
South Africa captain leads with maiden ton
The South African openers, Nadine Moodley and van Niekerk, added 37. Then Raj brought her spinners on. Gayakwad dismissed van Niekerk and Kapp in the space of three balls. Poonam Yadav got Nadine Moodley for 40, and South Africa ended Day 2 on 85/3.
Day 3 belonged to du Preez, who batted beautifully on a turning track for her 102. She and Chetty lifted South Africa from 107/4. They added 102 before Gayakwad (4-54) trapped du Preez leg-before.
That opened the floodgates, and Kaur (5-44) ran through. None of the last five batters reached 5. South Africa were bowled out for 234, 17 short of the follow-on mark. Raj asked them to bat again. There was almost a day and a half left.
Convincing win for hosts
This time Goswami rose to the task, removing both openers in her first spell. Yadav got du Preez and Lee, and South Africa were soon tottering at 67/6. Chetty (35) and Tryon (30) held on for the rest of the day. South Africa had managed only half of their initial target of 166.
Chetty and Tryon took them to 120 before Shikha Pandey broke through, having Chetty caught behind for 35. As in the first innings, Kaur (4-41) ran through the tail. South Africa were bowled out for 132, leaving Tryon stranded on 30.
India won by an innings and 34 runs as Kaur returned match figures of 9-85.
India’s dominant performance established that the cricketers were ready for Test cricket. However, with the reluctance of both ICC and BCCI, India Women had to wait for nearly seven years to play their next Test match.
Brief scores:
India Women 400/6 decl. (Thirushkamini 192, Punam Raut 130; Sunette Loubser 3-90) beat South Africa Women 234 (Mignon du Preez 102; Harmanpreet Kaur 5-44, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 4-54) and 132 (Trisha Chetty 35; Harmanpreet Kaur 4-41) by an innings and 34 runs.