South Africa: 157 all out (Goodall 49, Luus 36, Goswami 4/42, Joshi 2/23)
India: 160/1 (Mandhana 80*, Raut 62*, Ismail 1/46 )
India won by 9 wickets
CAPE TOWN - The Proteas Women’s team showed off their Jekyll and Hyde personality in the second ODI in Lucknow on Tuesday.
It was just two day ago Sune Luus’s team completed their most comprehensive victory over World Cup runners-up India. They were clinical with the ball, electric in the field and efficient with the bat.
Today, they were the complete opposite and it was India instead who were a much improved outfit.
The Proteas’ woes started with the bat where they lost in-form openers Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt to the impressive Jhulan Goswami (4/42) and the recalled Mansi Joshi (2/23) with just 20 runs on the board.
The visitors never recovered from the shaky start with veteran Goswami chipping away at the Proteas innings with wickets every time a partnership looking to be building any momentum.
Captain Luus (36 off 57 balls) and Lara Goodall attempted to rebuild the innings with a 60-run wicket partnership for the third wicket. But Luus’s demise to Joshi set in a motion a collapse which saw the Proteas lose their last seven wickets for just 77 runs.
Goodall (49 off 77 balls, 2x4) tried her valiant best to keep everything together for the Proteas, but the Western Province left-hander had precious little support.
South Africa needed early wickets if they were to have any chance of defending this paltry target and Shabnim Ismail duly provided it when she clean bowled Jemimah Rodrigues in the fifth over, but that was unfortunately the last success Ismail and the Proteas enjoyed.
Smriti Mandhana (80 not out) and Punam Raut (62 not out) matched the Lee/Wolvaardt masterclass of the first ODI with a special partnership of their own on Tuesday to help their team level the series at 1-1.
@ZaahierAdams
IOL Sports