Shourjyani Chatterjee
Indian Women’s cricket team lost the T20I series against South Africa by 1-4. While there were strong individual performances, the series ultimately highlighted a lack of role clarity, and execution under pressure while raising some concerns ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in June.
The positive for India was the return in form of their skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, who finished with 169 runs. The skipper stood out as she looked much more in control. She absorbed pressure when wickets fell early and ensured that India posted competitive totals.
Deepti Sharma, was equally impactful throughout. Her 5/19 in the 4th T20I was the standout bowling performance of the series, but beyond that, her control in the middle overs and improved intent with the bat ensured India didn’t suffer a white wash. Even though she went wicketless in the first three matches, she bounced back strongly to claim 7 wickets in the final two, while also maintaining impressive economy in her spells.
The emergence of Bharti Fulmali can also be seen as a positive although the chances of her being in the playing XI in the World Cup is bleak. There is an assumption that Amanjot Kaur might be obtaining the spot, however there is no confirmation from the team management. Despite going for a few low scores and dropping crucial catches, she grew into the series and delivered a composed 40 off 30 balls in the final T20I. What sets her apart is her intent and power instead of merely rotating the strike, bringing a fresh edge to India’s middle order.
Richa Ghosh continues to be one of India’s most reliable match-finishers, maintaining a strike rate above 140 throughout the series. She has the ability to change games quickly, and even in limited opportunities, she showed glimpses of that finishing prowess. Along with her improved wicketkeeping, she remains one of the most complete players in the side.
India’s lower-order batting overall has shown improvement but the over reliance on the top order is still a major concern.
Despite these positives, the series exposed several structural weaknesses in the team. The biggest concern is the unsettled top order. The decision to experiment with Anushka Sharma as an opener in the absence of Smriti Mandhana disrupted the batting rhythm. It also highlighted how dependent India is on Mandhana and Shafali Verma and when they fail, the rest of the batting struggles to recover. Once Smriti returns to the playing XI, Anushka is unlikely to get a chance in that role. In domestic cricket, Anushka usually bats at number 3 or 4, and India’s top five is already settled. So, trying her as an opener is a move that has shocked many. The other possible cause could be the fact that the team management is considering her as a backup opener ahead of the T20 World Cup.
The middle-order issues became even more visible under pressure in the series. Jemimah Rodrigues showed her strength in strike rotation, but her limitations were exposed when bowlers cut off her preferred scoring areas. Her over-reliance on the sweep shot made her predictable, and once that option was neutralised, she struggled to maintain scoring momentum.
While Richa Ghosh performed efficiently, her role was not maximised. She was often sent in too late, especially in high run-rate chases, leaving her with unrealistic situations.
The bowling unit, despite individual brilliance, lacked consistency. Renuka Singh was effective with the new ball, but once the swing faded, her impact reduced significantly. The middle overs lacked a consistent wicket-taking threat, allowing South African batters to settle and build partnerships.
However, the most decisive factor in the series was India’s fielding, specifically their catching. While ground fielding improved, dropped catches at crucial moments proved extremely costly. South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt was given multiple chances across the series, and each time, she capitalised. In the first T20I, an early drop allowed her to anchor the chase. In the third match, both a dropped catch and a missed stumping helped South Africa build a match-winning total. Similar lapses in later games allowed partnerships to flourish when India had opportunities to break them.
After the loss in the series, India will be looking forward to learn from their mistakes and perform better ahead of the World Cup.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news