Women's Cricket
India Women restrict SA women to just 112 runs in the third T20I
Thanks to Rajeshwari Gayakwad's heroics with the ball, India Women were able to restrict the visitors to just 112
![Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up three wickets in her four overs against South Africa Women. [Source: Cricinfo]](https://thebridge.in/h-upload/2021/03/23/1032-rajeshwari-gayakwad-picked-up-three-wickets-in-her-four-overs-against-south-africa-women-source-cricinfo.webp "Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up three wickets in her four overs against South Africa Women. [Source: Cricinfo]")
Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up three wickets in her four overs against South Africa Women. [Source: Cricinfo]
Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up three wickets for just nine runs to help India Women restrict South Africa Women to 112 for 7 in the third and final T20 International on Tuesday.
Gayakwad (3 for 9) was the star performer as she bowled with great control and guile to flummox the South African batters while fellow slow bowlers Radha Yadav (1 for 24) and Deepti Sharma (1 for 22) chipped in with impressive displays.
Skipper Sune Luus was the top-scorer for South Africa with 28 while Lara Goodall finished with 25 not out from 17 balls after they were asked to bat. Sinalo Jafta (16) and Goodall, one of the stars of the ODI series win, took 16 runs in the 17th over bowled by medium-pacer Simran Bahadur to help the visiting side get past the 100-run mark.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers justified skipper Smriti Mandhana's decision to bowl by picking up two wickets in the powerplay, including that of the consistent Lizelle Lee (10). Gayakwad did most of the damage to the South Africans by removing Anneke Bosch (0) with the third ball of her first over. Then, she had the prize scalp of Lee, who was castled while attempting a whip on the leg-side from a quicker delivery. She returned to bowl in the 15th over and added the wicket of Nadine de Klerk (9), bowling her with an arm ball as South Africa slipped to 63 for 5.
Luus tried her best to resurrect the South Africa innings before falling to Deepti Sharma (1 for 22). She struck three powerful boundaries but her attempted pull off a delivery that kept low proved her undoing. South Africa Women have already clinched the three-match series after winning the first two matches.
