When and Where to Watch India Women vs South Africa Women, Live Streaming, Match Preview, Timings, and Pitch Report for 2nd T20I

Depleted already in the absence of their batting mainstay and regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, India would be praying to not have any more issues around player availability.

Published - 21 Mar 2021, 09:46 IST | Updated - 21 Mar 2021, 09:46 IST

3 Min Read

A Harmanpreet Kaur-less India eleven was rolled over by South Africa in a low-scoring affair at Lucknow in the first T20I of the three-game series. After lagging convincingly in the ODI series, in which India lost 4-1, any hopes of returning to winning ways in the shorter format were dented by an all-round effort from Anneke Bosch, who registered figures of 2/11 and followed that with an unbeaten 66 off 48 alongside a vital 49-ball 43 from captain Sune Luus in a 131-run chase.

Led by Smriti Mandhana, India made a positive start with the bat after being put in, losing a solitary wicket of the stand-in captain herself, before Shafali Verma, who was ignored for the ODIs, and Harleen Deol steadied the innings through a 45-run stand for the second wicket.

Coming on the back of a high unproductive ODI series, Jemimah Rodrigues did well to carry along the Indian innings alongside Deol after Verma was stumped, although the duos’ quick departure in the double-wicket 18th over from Bosch meant that India could only muster 130. Pacer Shabnim Ismail, the leading wicket-taker of the ODI series, accounted for Richa Ghosh and Arundhati Reddy to finish 3/14.

Even as Reddy claimed the big wicket of Lizelle Lee, who ended up with more runs than anyone else from either side in the ODIs, Bosch and Luus went about to deliver the goods for the side through a 90-run alliance for the second-wicket. Haunted by the dropped chances and shoddy misfields, India failed to cause much trouble to the visitors in what eventually turned out to be a simple, one-sided victory.

With not even 24 hours before they take the ground again with the hope of making a comeback after a rather poor start, the home side will be fretting over the ankle injury that forced the stand-in skipper Mandhana to leave the ground in the first game. Depleted already in the absence of their batting mainstay and regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, India would be praying to not have any more issues around player availability as they eye to level the series on Sunday.

Pitch and conditions

While the first T20I turned out to be a low-scoring affair, little of that had to do with the track. Of the eight wickets that fell in the entire game, only two belonged to the spinners. Another balanced track is expected for the second encounter in warm Lucknow evening.

Playing combination for India Women vs South Africa Women

India Women

Predicted XI: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana (C), Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Nuzhat Parween (WK), Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Simran Bahadur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Mansi Joshi

South Africa Women

Predicted XI: Lizelle Lee, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus (C), Lara Goodall, Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Sinalo Jafta (WK), Shabnim Ismail, Nadine de Klerk, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka