Kaur’s authority steers India into a commanding position

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur lashed an exhilarating 66 from just 38 balls to lead her team to an imposing total of 192-4 in the third T20 International against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening after lightning delayed the start by 30 minutes.

Kaur capitalised superbly on the platform laid by openers Smriti Mandhana (37 from 25 balls) and Shafali Verma (64 from 46) after Laura Wolvaardt had chosen to bowl first with seven fours and three sixes during an innings of both power and finesse.

Mandhana’s innings ended with a diving catch at deep midwicket by Nadine de Klerk off the bowling of left- arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba who followed up with the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues (0) who top edged a sweep to her first ball to short third as the innings hiccuped from 68-0 to 68-2.

But Verma was staunch in her counter-attack with a series of classy drives and legside boundaries before holing out to Annerie Dercksen at deep midwicket against De Klerk (3-0-27-1) allowing Kaur to unleash her best attacking game with seven fours and three sixes before a run out on the final ball of the innings.

Mlaba was the pick of the attack with 2-31 from her four overs while Dercksen conceded just 13 runs from her two overs and, curiously, was not required again.

It was not an innings to remember for seamer Tumi Sekhukhune (4-0-51-0) or the usually reliable left-arm spinner Chloe Tryon whose two overs cost 22 runs.

The hosts enjoy a 2-0 lead in the five-match series having won the first two games at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead by six wickets and eight wickets on Friday and Sunday.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Kayla Reyneke, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wkt), Ayanda Hlubi, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba

INDIA: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wkt), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Kranti Gaud