The South African Ladies have won the toss and have elected to field first against India Women in the fourth Women's T20 International at DP World Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday evening.
The Proteas Women arrive at the Wanderers tonight with a 3-0 series lead and a collective swagger that has left India Women searching desperately for answers. Across the first three matches, it has been a story of South African brilliance versus Indian frustration, and the statistics paint a picture that is as stark as it is compelling.
With the bat, the Proteas have been nothing short of sensational, and the story begins and ends with one name: Laura Wolvaardt. The South African skipper has been in the form of her life, accumulating 220 runs across the three matches at a jaw-dropping average and a strike rate that has left Indian bowlers shell-shocked.
Her crowning moment came in the third T20 right here at the Wanderers, where she smashed a breathtaking 115 off just 53 balls; an innings that will be talked about for years to come. Sune Luus has been equally influential, chipping in with 57, 13, and 64 across the series, giving the Proteas a devastating one-two punch at the top of the order that India simply have no answer to.
In contrast, India's batting has been inconsistent at best. Shafali Verma has been their standout performer with the bat, notching 34, 57, and 64 in the three matches, but far too often she has been left stranded as the middle order crumbled around her. Harmanpreet Kaur showed glimpses of brilliance, particularly her blistering 66 off 38 balls in Johannesburg, but India have collectively managed totals of 157, 147, and 192 — the latter being arguably too little on a belting Wanderers surface, as Wolvaardt's onslaught so ruthlessly proved.
BOWLERS DOING THEIR PART
With the ball, South Africa have been equally clinical. Tumi Sekhukhune leads the wicket-taking charts with five wickets across the series, while Chloe Tryon has been devastating with her variations, bagging three wickets in a single spell in the second T20. Ayabonga Khaka set the tone in the opening match with a miserly three-wicket haul for just 16 runs, and Nonkululeko Mlaba has been a consistent threat throughout, claiming wickets in both the second and third matches.
India's bowlers, by comparison, have largely toiled without reward. Shreyanka Patil has been their most dangerous weapon, picking up wickets in all three games, but the rest of the attack has struggled to contain a Proteas batting lineup that appears to be growing in confidence with every passing over.
With a 3-0 series lead already secured and a home crowd behind them, South Africa will be looking to twist the knife further tonight and move to an unassailable 4-0 advantage. India, pride firmly on the line, will need something very special to stop them.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Kayla Reyneke, Chloe Tryon, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Eliz-Marie Marx, Tumi Sekhukhune, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
India: Shafali Verma, Amita Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh.