STATE TIMES NEWS
BENGALURU: Smriti Mandhana waltzed to a characteristically elegant 90 to form the crux of India’s six-wicket win in the third and final women’s ODI against South Africa, marking their 3-0 series clean sweep here on Sunday.
Mandhana, whose innings came off 83 balls (11×4), had efficient support casts in Shafali Verma (25), Priya Punia (28) and Harmanpreet Kaur (42, 48b, 2×4) as India went past the target of 216 without exerting themselves much.
The hosts made 220 for four in 40.4 overs, after South Africa were restricted to an underwhelming 215 for eight despite skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s solid 61 (57b, 7×4).
Though she failed to make a third hundred on the bounce, the knock underlined the way Mandhana dominated this ODI series, scoring 343 runs at an average of 114.33.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers showed an unbending will to restrict South Africa to 215 for eight after the visitors raced to 102 without loss in 19.5 overs.
