Nadine de Klerk smashed 84 off 54 balls as South Africa relegated India to their first defeat in the 2025 Women’s World Cup at Vizag on Thursday. The Protea batter paced the chase superbly and targetted the right bowlers to ensure India suffered a 3-wicket loss. At 81/5 in the 20th over, India looked good to clinch their third win in as many matches. But the Proteas women paced their chase to perfection, and Kranti Gaud’s 47th over, which went for 18 runs, turned the match on its head.
Some fans might say this match should have never gone as far as it did when India were 102-6, with all their top-order batters and Deepti Sharma back in the hut. But then came a counterattacking innings for the ages. Richa Ghosh, who once again batted at number eight, brought the hosts back into the match. She first put on 51 runs for the seventh wicket to stabilise the innings, but it was her blistering stand of 88 runs from 53 balls with Sneh Rana that pushed South Africa well and truly on the back foot.
The wicketkeeper-batter fell in the final over of the innings for 94 off 77 balls, and by the time she returned to the pavilion, India had reached a score which would have given them some hope.
Both teams remain in Vizag for their next match. India will face Australia on Sunday while South Africa will take on Bangladesh on Monday.