India women's team thrash South Africa in ODI opener

Indian opener Smriti Mandhana smashed classy half-ton and the pace duo of Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey combined to scalp 7 wickets as India thrashes South Africa by 88 runs to win the encounter of the three-match series in Kimberly on Monday.

New Delhi: Indian opener Smriti Mandhana smashed classy half-ton and the pace duo of Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey combined to scalp 7 wickets as India thrashes South Africa by 88 runs to win the encounter of the three-match series in Kimberly on Monday.

The win meant India picked up two points towards the ICC Women's Championship in their first game.

Havinf decided to bat first, opener Smriti Mandhana’s 98-ball 84 and skipper Mithali Raj’s patient 70-ball 45 helped india post a modest 213/7.

Smriti’s brilliant 84-run knock complied of 8 boundaries and a maximum. She first raised a 55-run stand for the opening wicket with Poonam Raut and then joined Mithali for a stupendous 99-run partnership for the second wicket.

The rest of the Indian batting including all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur (16) and stumper Sushma Verma (15) got the starts but failed to capitalise, while Veda Krishnamurthy (2) and Deepti Sharma (6) were run out cheaply.

In response, the South Africans failed to get going against the disciplined Indian new ball pair of Jhulan (4/24) and Shikha (3/23).

Opener Laura Wolvaardt (21) and skipper Dane van Niekerk (41) raised the hopes of the home side with a brief 19-run stand before Laura departed.

van Niekerk continued to fight a lone battle before the lower order batswomen -- Marizanne Kapp (23) and Suné Luus (21 not out) -- added some spice but leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (2/22) applied the brakes yet again as the hosts folded for 125 in 43.2 overs.