An inconsistent India crashed out of the Women’s World Cup after struggling a heart-breaking three-wicket defeat in opposition to South Africa in a have to-pick league-stage sport that went correct down to the wire, right here on Sunday.
Smriti Mandhana (71), Shafali Verma (53) and skipper Mithali Raj (68)struck half of-centuries, environment the platform for India to prevail in a competitive 274 for seven on the Hagley Oval.
Despite India’s common bowling and fielding, the match closing corpulent distance with off-spinner Deepti Sharma needing to protect seven runs within the remainder over.
A well-situation Mignon du Preez used to be caught within the deep off the penultimate ball, elevating hopes of a memorable pick for India. The Proteas now wished three runs off the remainder ball.
Nonetheless, moments later the umpires ruled that Deepti had overstepped, turning India’s ecstacy into agony in a subject of seconds.
Du Preez finally hit the successful runs off the remainder ball and remained unbeaten on 52 to detect her crew thru and save second within the league stage on the aid of Australia.
Because it panned out, Australia, South Africa, England and West Indies reached the closing four stage.
In presumably her closing match for India, skipper Mithali Raj used to be left devastated along along with her teammates.
India were no longer fixed sufficient to assemble the semifinals and ended fifth within the league stage with three wins and 4 losses.
South Africa were cruising of their depart hasten with the in-create Laura Wolvaardt (80 off 79) and Lara Goodall (49 off 69) sharing 125 runs for the second wicket.
India rely closely on extinct pacer Jhulan Goswami for early breakthroughs and her absence on account of a aspect stress made the duty more uncomplicated for the South Africans.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who made 48 with the bat, removed opener Lizelle Lee (6) with a truly most reasonable dispute hit sooner than Wolvaardt and Goodall got collectively and took the game a ways flung from the opposition.
Wolvaardt persevered her sensational depart of create along with her fifth fifty-plus obtain in seven innings. It took a double strike from Harmanpreet to carry India aid within the game as she stumbled on the stumps of Wolvaardt and trapped Sune Luus (22) along with her probing off-scurry.
The Indian fielding once more used to be sloppy and late evening dew made the job more challenging for them. Nonetheless, particular particular person brilliance of Harmanpreet helped India engage the game deep with South Africa needing 45 off the closing 30 balls.
Du Preez, who used to be dropped by Smriti within the 45th over, and Chloe Tyron (17) were up for the anxiety and took their crew on the cusp of victory. Tyron got three boundaries within the 47th over bowled by Gayakwad to slice the equation to 20 off 18 balls.
Earlier, India chose to place runs on the board within the excessive-stress sport while their opponents took the discipline of their closing league sport having already qualified for the semifinals.
Shafali (53 off 46) and Smriti (71 off 84) shared a 91-depart stand off 90 balls for the opening wicket to offer the beginning India were buying for.
Shafali scored bulk of the runs within the partnership with Smriti and looked at her fluent handiest en route her maiden World Cup fifty. She put South Africa’s handiest bowler, pacer Shabnim Ismail below the pump by attacking her from the notice scurry.
Shafali aloof three boundaries off Shabnim’s second over in conjunction with an brave stroll all the device thru the off-stump to whip the South African bowler over brief-comely leg.
The 18-year-mature achieved her first fifty of the rivals with a boundary over mid-on off pacer Masabata Klaas.
With the technique the openers were going about their industry, India looked on notice for 300 for the second time within the tournament. Nonetheless, they misplaced Shafali in opposition to the depart of play sooner than quantity three batter Yastika Bhatia got out in a strange vogue.
There used to be a miscommunication over a temporary single on the leg aspect between Shafali and Smirti while Yastika conducted a sweep shot on to her stumps off spinner Chloe Tryon, leaving India at 96 for two from 91 for no loss.
Mithali and Smriti then got collectively to rep the misplaced momentum.
It used to be a conventional Mithali knock as she modified gears after taking her time early on. She released the stress with a bunch of slice photographs off spinners sooner than hitting a as a lot as date duvet driver off pacer Marizanne Kapp.
With Mithali going solid and Harmanpreet joining her within the middle, India stumbled on their rhythm aid to prevail in 223 for three in 40 overs.
Nonetheless, simplest 51 runs were scored off the closing 60 balls for the shortcoming of 4 wickets as India failed to rep the remainder flourish.
Curiously, Mithali scored her fifty in a crucial sport on the same ground the put she scored her maiden World Cup half of-century 22 years ago.
