India Women vs South Africa Women, 2019: 1st T20I – Deepti Sharma's record spell, Du Preez's valiant effort, India's youngest T20I player and more stats

India Women started off their T20 CWC preparations with an 11-run win in the first of the 5-match T20I series against South Africa Women. On a turning track, India were restricted to 130/8 following quite last five overs. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was the top-scorer of the innings with 43 runs from 34 deliveries. India Women conceded 18 runs in the first overs but kept taking wickets regularly.

Deepti Sharma’s bowling figures once read 3-3-0-3 as the visitors were seven down for 73 by 14th over. Mignon du Preez played a blinder scoring a 43-ball 59 but missed out closely in making South Africa Women’s 100th T20I a memorable one.

All the statistical highlights from India’s win in the first match of the T20I series:

End of India’s losing streak:

7 – This win brought an end to India Women’s 7-match losing streak in the T20I format. They lost seven consecutive T20Is they played since the start of the semi-final game against England in the last year’s Women’s WT20.

Deepti record:

1 – Deepti Sharma became the first Indian to bowl three maidens in a T20I game. Eight other players have bowled three or more maiden overs in a Women’s T20I match while no bowler achieved this feat in a Men’s T20I.

19 – Deepti conceded the first run of her bowling on the 19th ball she bowled. Only three players bowled more balls without conceding a run in the T20I format; all in Women’s T20I only. Tanzania’s Perice Mamunya didn’t concede even one run in her four overs during this year’s T20I against Mali Women.

In the last year’s T20I against Thailand Women, Carol Namugenyi of Uganda conceded only one run that too via wide after she bowled 23 dots. Zimbabwe’s Tasmeen Granger conceded a wide after bowling 21 dot balls during the region qualifier against Tanzania this year.

A 15-year-old International:

15y 239d – At the age of 15 years and 239 days, Shafali Verma became India’s youngest T20I cricketer across Men’s and Women’s cricket. V Sneha Deepthi was the previous youngest Indian to feature in a T20I as she was only 16 years and 204 days old when she made her debut against Bangladesh Women in 2013.

Shafali is also only the 2nd youngest ever debutant for India in any international format, Gargi Banerji was 14 years and 165 days old when she made her ODI debut in 1978.

A big knock in a defeat:

59 – Mignon du Preez’s 59 is the 2nd highest score in an unsuccessful T20I chase for South Africa Women. Dane van Niekerk scored 72 against England Women in the Taunton T20I where they were chasing 251 to win.

Mandhana @ 50:

50 – This game was Smriti Mandhana’s 50th consecutive T20I appearance for India Women. She is the first player to feature in 50 consecutive T20Is for India surpassing Harmanpreet Kaur’s streak of 49 games between 2009 and 2014. Mandhana’s streak began from the 3rd game of the home T20I series against New Zealand in 2015. Eight other players in Women’s cricket and four players in Men’s cricket have featured in 50+ consecutive T20Is for a team.

A line-up of teenagers:

4 – As many as four teenagers featured in Indian XI for this match. This is only the 2nd time that as many as four teenagers were part of an Indian XI. India Women fielded four players aged below 20 during the 2013 Vadodara T20I against Bangladesh.

An inning of bowled dismissals:

5 – As many as five players were dismissed bowled during the South African innings. This is only the 2nd time that the Indian Women got five players dismissed bowled in a T20I game. Exactly five players of Australia Women’s team were bowled by the Indian team in the 2012 Vizag T20I.