Sneha's Rana's Blazing Performance
South Africa crumble under India's off-spinner's impressive 5-wicket performance, securing a tight victory.
In a thrilling turn of events in the second match of the women's tri-series (April 29), Sneha Rana stole the limelight with her career-best ODI figures. Her 5-43 sent the South African batting line-up crumbling, securing a nail-biting victory for India.
India claimed their second win of the series, following a hard-fought victory against the hosts in the opening game. In Colombo, India managed 276-6, with Pratika Rawal setting a new record by becoming the fastest batter to 500 ODI runs. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur also contributed crucial runs, propelling India past the 270-run mark.
South Africa enjoyed a promising start, courtesy of a 140-run partnership between Tazmin Brits (109 runs off 107 balls) and Laura Wolvaardt (43 runs off 75 balls). However, when Wolvaardt was dismissed by Deepti Sharma, South Africa's momentum began to wane. They lost their next four wickets for 67 runs.
A partnership between Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus capitalized on the struggling South African side, keeping them within striking distance of the target. Nevertheless, Sneha Rana took center stage, snatching three batters' wickets in just six deliveries to reduce South Africa to 251-7.
Luus was the next to fall, caught by Shree Charani in the 42nd over. Subsequently, Rana eliminated three more batters, reducing the Proteas to a precarious position. The final nail in the coffin came in the form of three run-outs, as the Proteas fell just 15 runs shy of the target, losing their last eight wickets for 80 runs and finishing on 261.
Game 2: India Women vs South Africa Women
The riveting match saw India consolidating their hold on the top spot of the points table. Rana's five-wicket haul was the best for India against South Africa in WODIs, and she remains the only Indian woman to have achieved a five-for against the opposition.
Besides Rana, four other Indian women have taken four-wicket hauls in India-South Africa WODIs. This series also marks Rana's comeback to ODI cricket, her last game being played against Australia in December 2023. In her 29 ODI appearances thus far, she has taken 37 wickets at an average of 29.
The Indian squad will next face Sri Lanka on May 4 in their quest to secure the series victory.
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India Women
P.S.: Sneha is the only Indian woman to have taken a five-wicket haul against South Africa (5/43) in a Women's One Day International (WODI) in April 2025. This performance marked the best bowling figures by an Indian woman against South Africa in WODIs, and she remains the sole Indian woman to have taken a five-for against South Africa in this format.Sources: 1, 2, 4
- Sneha Rana's impressive performance in the second match of the women's tri-series against South Africa on April 29 included a career-best ODI figure of 5-43, helping India secure a nail-biting victory.
- Rana's five-wicket haul against South Africa in WODIs is the best for India against this team, and she remains the only Indian woman to have achieved a five-for against South Africa in this format.
- The Indian squad will aim to secure the series victory against Sri Lanka on May 4, with the latest cricket news, match stats, live scores, player updates, team standings, video analysis, and live match odds available for fans.
