India Women Outclass South Africa in High-Scoring Battle
The atmosphere at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium was electric as India Women set the tone early, sealing a 23-run victory over South Africa Women in the fifth match of the Sri Lanka Tri-Nation ODI Series. From the moment the Indian batters walked onto the crease, they looked determined to leave a mark, and they did just that—posting a daunting 337 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs.
Jemimah Rodrigues—only 24, but already shining on the big stage—delivered a sensational knock. Her 123 off 101 balls brought the crowd to its feet, smashing 15 fours and one mighty six. This was only her second century in ODIs, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Smriti Mandhana, ever-reliable at the top, played with her characteristic poise, hammering 51 runs and putting pressure on the South African bowling early on. Deepti Sharma, coming in at a crucial juncture, missed out on a century by just seven runs but her 93-run cameo stitched the middle order together and gave India the muscle it needed to set a challenging target.
India’s batting performance felt relentless, even as South Africa tried to rein things in. Marizanne Kapp and Masabata Klaas picked up a couple of wickets each but couldn’t slow the scoring rate. Despite regular breakthroughs, South Africa failed to contain the momentum as India’s deep batting line-up piled on the runs. The total—337—was the highest of the series so far and set South Africa a steep mountain to climb.
South Africa’s Grit Falls Short; Indian Bowlers Hold Nerve
Chasing 338 under lights at Colombo is never easy, but South Africa showed grit. Annerie Dercksen anchored the chase with 81 and paired well with Chloe Tryon, who hammered 67 in aggressive style. The duo threatened to tilt the game South Africa’s way as they kept the required run rate alive during the middle overs. Laura Wolvaardt chipped in with a useful 39 at the top.
Just as the chase looked to pick up pace, India’s bowlers found their mark. Amanjot Kaur emerged as India’s surprise package—the youngster struck thrice, including two vital wickets in her second spell, ending the day with figures of 3 for 53. Deepti Sharma, fresh from her batting heroics, delivered under pressure with the ball, picking up 2 for 43. Fielding standards stayed high under lights, with India’s outfielders supporting their bowlers every step of the way by cutting off boundaries and holding onto tricky catches.
South Africa eventually finished on 314 for 7. The fight was there, but the ask was just too tall once key wickets started tumbling and the Indian bowlers choked the scoring in the last ten overs.
With this win, India Women sealed their place in the Tri-Series final and reminded everyone why they’re among the favorites for next year’s Women’s World Cup. Their strong all-round show, anchored by Jemimah’s century and India Women's bowling grit, will send a strong signal to whoever faces them in the final. The Tri-Series now heads toward a thrilling finish, with one more league match to go before the deciding clash on May 11 in Colombo.
