When India needed eight runs to win off the last two deliveries with just one wicket in hand, it looked like South Africa would win the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier.
But India still had star batter Harmanpreet Kaur in the middle and that turned out to be the difference as she hit a six to bring the equation down to two runs needed off the final delivery.
Off the final delivery, a lofted shot off a full toss fell short of long-on and the Indian pair of Harmanpreet and Rajeshwari Gayakwad were able to run two and win the game for India.
Having chased down a target of 245, India had managed to record their highest ever run chase in a women’s ODI match.
Earlier in the day, South Africa were bowled out for 244 after many of their batters got starts but none of them managed to kick on and register a big score.
Left-arm spinner Gayakwad was India’s most impressive bowler, picking up bowling figures of 3/51.
In reply, India looked to be in a comfortable position at one point when Mona Meshram and Deepti Sharma were in the middle. The duo put on 124 runs for the second wicket with both of the batters scoring half-centuries.
India lost both set batters in quick time which brought South Africa back into the game. But it still looked like it was India’s game to lose when they were 209/4 with just more than six overs to go.
That was when the run-out of Shikha Pandey triggered a collapse with India losing three wickets for just two runs.
Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav hung around for a bit, but it was all left to Harmanpreet in the final over and the stand-in India captain did not disappoint.
BRIEF SCORES
South Africa 244 all out, 49.4 overs [Mignon du Preez 40, Dane van Niekerk 37, Lizelle Lee 37, Gayakwad 3/51] lost to India 245/9, 50 overs [Sharma 71, Meshram 59, Harmanpreet 41*, Marizanne Kapp 2/36] by one wicket.
Player of the match – Deepti Sharma
Player of the series – Sune Luus