India beat South Africa by 10 wickets, complete hat-trick of Test wins
India beat South Africa by 10 wickets, complete hat-trick of Test wins
South Africa staged a remarkable fightback that stretched into the final session of the last day before India secured a resounding 10-wicket victory in the one-off Test on Monday. Similar to Day 3, when the visitors’ resilient effort tested India’s resolve, it was another day of hard-fought cricket. Harmanpreet Kaur & Co bowled a marathon 154.4 overs in the second innings to finally dismiss South Africa for 373. Needing just 37 runs for victory, India chased it down in 9.4 overs.
South Africa’s skipper Laura Wolvaardt, following Sune Luus, reached her century early on Day 4 and appeared set to prolong their innings. Starting under overcast skies, South Africa harboured hopes of salvaging a draw, a prospect that seemed unlikely after India’s hefty first-day total of over 500 runs. Even after being bowled out for 266, South Africa displayed resilience, battling for four sessions and pushing India to their limits. India, though claiming a commanding Test victory, were made to toil in challenging conditions.
Patience was key for India on a pitch favouring batsmen, as every wicket required disciplined effort rather than triggering collapses.
Player of the match Sneh Rana was straight forward in her remark highlighting that the pitch favoured the batsmen more than the bowlers. It made the conditions challenging. Rana took 10 wickets in the game. She further stated that modern pitches behave like this only, so it’s about consistency and knowing when to vary your deliveries. These are the lessons from this match.
Wolvaardt acknowledged her team’s fighting spirit stating that losing is disappointing, but the character shown over the last two days was amazing. To come back after conceding 500 runs on day one, not many would have expected the South Africa team to stretch it to the final session on day four. The grit and determination shown by every batter were commendable.
The pitch held up longer than anticipated, aiding Wolvaardt as she played spinners off the back foot. After Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana removed Marizanne Kapp and Delmi Tucker quickly, India aimed to seal victory in the afternoon session when Wolvaardt fell for 122. However, Nadine de Klerk’s steadfast defence frustrated India. She emulated tactics of South African greats like Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, frustrating the Indian attack despite losing partners.
De Klerk’s stubborn resistance, scoring 61 off 185 balls, thwarted India’s efforts as they battled fatigue.
Ultimately, India claimed the final two wickets late in the day, with De Klerk falling to Shubha Satheesh, sealing their consecutive home Test victory.