Durban, April 19 (NationPress) In a stunning performance, Chloe Tryon and Tumi Sekhukhune each claimed three wickets, while captain Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus delivered impressive half-centuries, leading the South Africa Women to a dominant eight-wicket victory over India. This win secured a 2-0 lead in the five-match series at Kingsmead on Sunday.

After a promising start at 99/3, India faltered dramatically, losing their last seven wickets for a mere 33 runs, culminating in a subpar total of 147. Shafali Verma, playing her 100th T20I match, was the standout performer for India, scoring 57 runs off 38 balls, with a remarkable tally of seven fours and two sixes.

Shafali's efforts were overshadowed by a lackluster overall batting performance from India. For South Africa, Tumi and Chloe's exceptional bowling, characterized by effective slower deliveries and precision length, stifled the Indian batting lineup.

In pursuit of a modest target of 148, the South African opening pair dismantled the Indian bowling attack with a formidable 106-run partnership. Laura set the tone with a quickfire 54 off just 34 balls, featuring seven boundaries and a six, while Luus contributed a steady 57 off 46 balls, marked by six fours and one six.

Following the dismissals of Wolvaardt and Luus by Shreyanka Patil, Tazmin Brits (20 not out) and Annerie Dercksen (12 not out) comfortably finished the chase with 17 balls to spare, securing a comprehensive victory for the Proteas. India's bowlers struggled to make an impact, contributing to their downfall with lapses in fielding and a middle-order collapse that undermined Shafali’s strong start.

The chase commenced aggressively, with Laura opening the scoring with a boundary off Kranti Gaud in the first over. Shreyanka Patil was brought in early but had little success, as Laura continued to find gaps, driving her for another boundary.

Sune joined the onslaught in the fourth over, smashing the first six of the innings. By the end of the Powerplay, South Africa had raced to 66/0, with Deepti Sharma yielding 12 runs in her first over.

With India struggling in the field, Laura reached her fifty in just 30 balls, striking a superb shot over extra cover. However, she was dismissed in the 12th over, caught by Arundhati at long-on off Shreyanka. Nevertheless, Sune also reached her fifty off 41 balls, effectively negotiating the Indian spin bowlers.

Despite Sune's departure, South Africa continued to capitalize on India's fielding errors. Smriti Mandhana dropped Tazmin Brits in the 15th over, and another chance was missed by Arundhati in the following over. Tazmin sealed the match with a boundary off debutant Anushka Sharma, marking a convincing win for the Proteas.

Earlier, Shafali began aggressively, hitting Tumi for a six in the first over. Her opening partner Smriti Mandhana (12) looked good with three boundaries before being dismissed by Chloe while attempting a sweep.

After Jemimah Rodrigues fell cheaply, Anushka joined Shafali to stabilize the innings with a 53-run partnership. However, Anushka struggled to find her rhythm, scoring just 28 off 31 balls, even as Shafali, who was dropped on 28, celebrated her 15th T20I fifty off 31 balls.

Once the partnership was broken in the 13th over when Anushka was dismissed, India's batting crumbled. Shafali soon followed, caught brilliantly by Nadine de Klerk off Nonkululeko Mlaba.

The middle and lower order offered little resistance against South Africa's disciplined bowling. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (12) was run out due to a sharp piece of glovework from keeper Sinalo Jafta, while Deepti, Richa Ghosh, and Shreyanka fell quickly.

Some late boundaries from Sree Charani and Arundhati Reddy helped India surpass the 140 mark before the latter was run out on the final ball, resulting in a disappointing batting performance from the visitors that was insufficient to prevent Laura & Co. from securing another victory.

Brief Scores: India 147 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 57, Anushka Sharma 28; Chloe Tryon 3-22, Tumi Sekhukhune 3-31) lost to South Africa 148/2 in 17.1 overs (Sune Luus 57, Laura Wolvaardt 54; Shreyanka Patil 2-35) by eight wickets.