Batters struggle on slow pitch, India make 130/8

The Indian middle-order struggled to convert starts on a slow pitch as the hosts settled for a modest 130 for eight against South Africa women in the first T20 International here on Tuesday.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored for the side with a 34-ball 43, the innings containing three fours and two sixes as her other colleagues found the going tough.

The 15-year-old Shafali Verma was dismissed for a four-ball duck on her much-anticipated debut. She was caught off pacer Shabnim Ismail (3/26), who emerged as the most successful bowler for the visitors with a three-wicket haul.

The South African bowler took the pace off the ball on a slow pitch to make it difficult for the Indians to time the ball.

A 46-run stand between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma (16 from 16 balls) seemed to revive India's innings but medium pacer Nadine de Klerk (2/10) removed both of them in a space of three balls to deny the home team a flourishing finish.

The fourth-wicket partnership ended when wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee caught Deepti off De Klerk, who also trapped the Indian skipper.

After Verma's fall, Smriti Mandhana batted in her usual aggressive manner, scoring 21 off 16 balls with four boundaries before falling to Nondumiso Shangase.

Jemimah Rodrigues (19 off 25) and Veda Krishnamurthi (10 off 11) also could not last long at the crease.

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