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- India vs South Africa Highlights, Women's World Cup 2025: India suffer first defeat; Nadine de Klerk heroics hand South Africa 3-wicket win
India vs South Africa Highlights, Women's World Cup 2025: India suffer first defeat; Nadine de Klerk heroics hand South Africa 3-wicket win
Opting to bat first, India started steadily through openers but faltered midway. After reaching 55 for no loss, they lost six wickets for just 47 runs, collapsing to 102 for six inside 26 overs. The early dismissals left India reeling, but Richa Ghosh stepped up in style. Displaying immense maturity and power, the wicketkeeper-batter unleashed a counter-attack that kept India alive. Her 77-ball knock, featuring 11 fours and four sixes, completely changed the tempo of the innings. She found brief support from Pratika Rawal (37) and Sneh Rana (33) as India scraped their way to 251 all out in 49.5 overs.
Chloe Tryon (3/32) was South Africa’s best bowler, maintaining pressure through the middle overs.
In response, South Africa’s chase revolved around captain Laura Wolvaardt, who played a composed knock of 70, ensuring stability up front. After her dismissal, Chloe Tryon’s brisk 49 kept the required rate in check. The real turnaround, however, came from de Klerk, who played a sensational match-winning innings under pressure. Her 84 not out off 54 balls, laced with five towering sixes and eight boundaries, sealed the game with seven balls to spare.
For India, Sneh Rana (2/47) and Deepti Sharma kept the contest alive briefly, but South Africa’s composure in the death overs proved decisive.
Despite Ghosh’s dazzling effort, India were left to rue their mid-innings collapse and inconsistent bowling. The defeat dents their campaign, while South Africa’s hard-fought win keeps their knockout hopes very much alive.champions Australia.
Ayabonga Khaka to Pratika Rawal, FOUR! Excellent from Pratika Rawal! On a length, outside off, Pratika Rawal leans on and cracks a drive through the cover region for a boundary.
- Smriti Mandhana 1 (8)
- Pratika Rawal 10 (10)
Marizanne Kapp to Smriti Mandhana, Nice over from Kapp! Good line, fuller in length, Smriti Mandhana tucks it to mid on. The fielder does well to stop it to her right. Keeps it to a dot.
Marizanne Kapp to Smriti Mandhana, Another dot. Length again, targeting the stumps. Smriti Mandhana covers her line and blocks it back towards the bowler.
Marizanne Kapp to Smriti Mandhana, On a length, outside off, slower too. Smriti Mandhana leaves it alone.
Marizanne Kapp to Smriti Mandhana, Much fuller, just outside off, Smriti Mandhana slashes it to the fielder at backward point.
Marizanne Kapp to Smriti Mandhana, Wide! Down the leg side, Smriti Mandhana looks to flick it but misses. Wided.
Marizanne Kapp to Smriti Mandhana, Hard length, on leg, Smriti Mandhana tucks it to the fielder at mid-wicket.
Marizanne Kapp to Smriti Mandhana, Wide! Down the leg side, Smriti Mandhana tries to flick it but misses. Marizanne Kapp appeals as she thought there was a noise but the umpire shows no interest.
Marizanne Kapp to Smriti Mandhana, Kapp continues. She bowls it on a length, on off, shaping away. Smriti Mandhana tries to drive it but gets beaten on the outside edge. The keeper fumbles, but there is no extra taken. That was a jaffa from Marizanne Kapp!
- Pratika Rawal 10 (10)
- Smriti Mandhana 1 (2)
Ayabonga Khaka to Pratika Rawal, Good start from Ayabonga Khaka. Much fuller, on off, at 104.1 kph. Pratika Rawal taps it to mid off.
Ayabonga Khaka to Pratika Rawal, A little too straight on this occasion from Khaka, fuller in length and Pratika flicks it behind square leg for a couple of runs.
Ayabonga Khaka to Pratika Rawal, Beaten! That's the variation, perhaps the natural one. On a good length around off, holding its line, Rawal goes nowhere with her footwork and ends up pushing inside the line. The ball beats the outside edge by a whisker.
Ayabonga Khaka to Pratika Rawal, Keeps it full, on off, Pratika Rawal moves forward and pushes it to the mid off fielder.
Ayabonga Khaka to Pratika Rawal, Wide! Down the leg side, full in length, Rawal tries her best to get a fine tickle behind it but misses.
Ayabonga Khaka to Smriti Mandhana, Much fuller, on off, Smriti Mandhana leans on and pushes it to mid off for a single. She gets off the mark.
Ayabonga Khaka to Smriti Mandhana, Starts with a fuller one, but way outside off. Smriti Mandhana leaves it alone.
Ayabonga Khaka to share the attack from the other end.
- Pratika Rawal 8 (6)
- Smriti Mandhana 0 (0)
Marizanne Kapp to Pratika Rawal, Good length, angling in, on off, Pratika Rawal covers her line and blocks it to mid off.
Marizanne Kapp to Pratika Rawal, Oh! Length in the channel and this one shapes away late. Pratika Rawal wafts at it and is beaten all ends up.
Marizanne Kapp to Pratika Rawal, FOUR! Pratika Rawal is dealing in boundaries here! Slightly shorter from Kapp, just outside off, Pratika Rawal rocks onto the backfoot and punches it beautifully through cover-point for a boundary.
Marizanne Kapp to Pratika Rawal, Another length ball, outside off, shaping away. Pratika Rawal shoulders arms at it.
Marizanne Kapp to Pratika Rawal, On a length, outside off, with a hint of movement. Pratika Rawal leaves the harmless delivery.
Marizanne Kapp to Pratika Rawal, FOUR! Pratika Rawal gets off the mark in some style! Marizanne Kapp errs in her line down the leg side, Pratika Rawal uses the pace of the ball and tickles it fine for a boundary. India Women are up and running...
Done with all the pre-match rituals! Laura Wolvaardt, skipper of South Africa Women, has a few last words before her team steps on the field. Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal walk in with their blades for the India Women. Marizanne Kapp will start with the new ball. Away we go...
We are all set for the game to begin. The flags of both nations unfurl in the middle as the two sets of players, followed by the match officials, line up for their national anthems. The national anthem of South Africa will be played first, followed by that of India.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India Women, says that they would have bowled first as well, but the toss is not in their hands and they have been losing a lot of them. Adds that now they will focus on setting a good total. Mentions that the support has been great and they just want to play good cricket. Tells that every game is important for them and they need to keep showing improvement in each one of them. Informs that Amanjot Kaur is back in the team in place of Renuka Singh Thakur.
Laura Wolvaardt, the skipper of South Africa Women, says that the wicket looks good, and with a bit of weather around, they want to chase here. Adds that she is hoping that the wicket gets better under lights and expects it to be a high-scoring game. Mentions that it was great how they moved on from the England game and played well against New Zealand and will look to repeat that performance here as well. Says that Tazmin Brits has been excellent with the bat, and hopefully she can score another ton in this game. Informs that Masabata Klaas misses out and Tumi Sekhukhune comes in her place.
India Women (Playing XI) - Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur (In for Renuka Singh Thakur), Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani.
South Africa Women (Playing XI) - Laura Wolvaardt (C), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sinalo Jafta (WK), Chloe Tryon, Nadine De Klerk, Tumi Sekhukhune (In for Masabata Klaas), Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
TOSS - It's finally Toss time in Vizag! Both captains march out to the middle now. Harmanpreet Kaur spins the coin, and Laura Wolvaardt calls 'Heads,' and 'Heads' it is. South Africa Women have elected to BOWL first.
While top-order failures have been masked by contributions from the lower order, the need for star performances is clear.
South Africa’s resurgence ensures India cannot rely solely on past dominance.
Starting well with bat and ball is crucial, as early momentum can determine pressure and crowd influence.
India must balance aggression with composure, ensuring key batters fire while bowlers exploit conditions effectively.
Success here could set up a psychological advantage ahead of tougher games, particularly against Australia.
Spin control will be crucial, with early breakthroughs potentially defining the match.
India’s bowlers have succeeded in leveraging both swing and spin, applying pressure in powerplay overs.
South Africa acknowledge that success depends on combating Indian spin effectively and building partnerships.
Whoever handles spin best will likely dictate the match, emphasizing the tactical importance of India’s spinners while challenging South African batters to adapt quickly to variable conditions.
Mandhana has scored 906 runs against South Africa in 18 ODIs, including three centuries. Her opening partnership with Pratika Rawal has been prolific, accumulating 1,200 runs in 15 innings at an average of 80.
Breaking this alliance is central to South Africa’s strategy.
De Klerk stressed the importance of early wickets to unsettle India’s batting rhythm, making Mandhana a primary focus to prevent her from setting the tone for the innings.
Centurion Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus have regained form, with skipper Laura Wolvaardt and veterans Marizanne Kapp and Anneke Bosch providing experience.
South Africa’s bowlers — Nonku Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka, Kapp, Masabata Klaas, and Chloe Tryon — pose a significant challenge for India.
The Proteas’ blend of batting depth and bowling experience ensures India will face an uphill task, especially if early wickets fall or partnerships fail to flourish under pressure.
If fit, she could replace Renuka Singh Thakur, adding depth both with the bat and ball. Her inclusion strengthens India’s seam options and provides an additional lower-order batting asset.
Management hopes Amanjot’s versatility will offer balance in team composition, particularly against South Africa’s experienced batting line-up.
A fit and confident Amanjot will be critical for India’s strategy, as her performance could directly influence the outcome in both innings.
Deepti Sharma leads the wicket tally with six scalps, supported by spinners Sneh Rana and Sree Charani, and pacer Kranti Gaud.
However, the ACA-VDCA Stadium pitch may not offer the same assistance as Guwahati or Colombo.
Bowlers must adjust to slower conditions while maintaining pressure. Their ability to extract early wickets and control the middle overs will be pivotal in restricting South Africa’s batting and giving India the upper hand in this high-stakes encounter.
While the management appreciates victories without significant contributions from the top order, consistent performances from the triumvirate will determine India’s ability to post winning totals.
Early runs and partnerships will be key to setting a foundation against South Africa’s experienced bowling attack, which has been rejuvenated after recent mixed results.
Harleen Deol, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh, and Deepti Sharma stepped up when required, stabilising precarious situations.
Scores of 124 for six and 159 for five highlighted India’s resilience but also revealed the lack of runs from star players.
Against South Africa, a more robust and experienced side, India cannot depend solely on the lower order. The star trio must contribute significantly to build a competitive total and ensure India retains control of the points table.
Despite sitting second on the points table with two wins, the hosts are under scrutiny due to inconsistent performances from Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues.
Against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the trio struggled, leaving the middle and lower order to rescue totals.
India’s slow starts could become costly against a stronger South African side, and a repeat of earlier reliance on secondary batters may compromise momentum ahead of a stern challenge from champions Australia.
India, sent in to bat, were cruising at 55 without loss before suffering a collapse that saw them slump to 102 for six by the 26th over. Just when South Africa appeared in full control, Ghosh counter-attacked brilliantly, striking 11 fours and four sixes to single-handedly revive the innings. Her aggressive 94, supported briefly by Pratika Rawal (37) and Sneh Rana (33), pushed India to a competitive 251 all out in 49.5 overs.
In reply, Wolvaardt anchored the chase with patience before Chloe Tryon’s 49 accelerated the scoring. When India clawed back with quick wickets, de Klerk took charge, smashing five sixes and eight boundaries to see her side home in 48.5 overs at 252 for seven.
For India, Rana was the most effective bowler with 2/47, but the attack struggled to contain South Africa’s late onslaught. Despite Ghosh’s fireworks, India’s middle-order collapse and lack of finishing touch with the ball cost them dearly.
Match Statistics
Venue
Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
