India edged out South Africa by a narrow margin of four runs in a high scoring second Women’s ODI match that saw 650 runs being scored at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday night. In the process the Harmanpreet Kaur led side took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series which is part of the ICC Women’s ODI Championship.

Buoyed by centuries by Harmanpreet and her deputy Smriti Mandhana, her second in as many matches, India posted a huge score of 325 for 3 in their allotted 50 overs, their third highest in ODIs.

after a sedate start.. Coming together at the fall of Dayalan Hemalatha wicket at the end of 23rd over the duo added 171-run standoff 136 balls, before Smriti  was dismissed by Slow left-arm orthodox Nonkululeko Mlaba not before scoring 136  runs off 120 balls in the 46th over. The southpaw who took 17 balls to get off the mark, later struck 18 boundaries and two sixes thereafter to register en-route her seventh ODI century and equalled former women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj's all-time Indian record for the same while registering her highest ODI score.

Harmanpreet on the other hand dominated from the word go and opened her account with a six over long-on off leg spinner Sune Luus went berserk in the death overs later in the company of wicket keeper batter Richa Ghosh as the two brought up India’s 300 in the productive 48th over. Capitalising on a missed stumping by Mieke de Ridder in the final over bowled by Nonkululeko, Harmanpreet slammed two fours and a six in space of three deliveries to reach the triple figure mark off 87 balls, before finishing on unbeaten 103.  India in the final 10 overs scored 118 runs, a stark contrast to 28 that they made by the end of first power play.

The visitors, despite losing three wickets inside 15 overs for 67 runs put up a spirited reply through their skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp who too scored centuries as they put on 184 runs for the fourth wicket. The 34-year-old Kapp hit 11 boundaries and three sixes in the process before being dismissed by all-rounder Deepti Sharma in the 43rd over with 251 runs on the board. Laura, who reached her hundred from 119 balls, kept South Africa in the hunt. Needing 23 runs from the last 12 deliveries and 11 from the last six, medium pacer Pooja Vastrakar kept her nerves despite being hit for a boundary by Nadine de Klerk, by picking up two wickets off consecutive balls including that of Nadine, to help India snatch a narrow win in the end, as South Africa managed to score 321 for 6 in the end.

Brief Scores (2nd ODI):

India: 325/3 in 50 Overs (Smriti Mandhana 136 (120b: 18x4s, 2x6s), Harmanpreet Kaur 103* (88b: 9x4s, 3x6s), Richa Ghosh 25* (13b: 3x4s, 1x6); Nonkululeko Mlaba 2/51, Masabata Klaas 1/67) beat South Africa:  321/6 in 50 Overs (Laura Wolvaardt 135* (135b: 12x4s, 3x6s), Marizanne Kapp 114 (94b: 11x4s, 3x6s), Nadine de Klerk 28 (22b: 2x4s, 1x6); Pooja Vastrakar 2/54, Deepti Sharma 2/56, Smriti Mandhana 1/13, Arundhati Reddy 1/62) by 4 runs. Player of the Match: Harmanpreet Kaur (India)

Photo above : Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur scored centuries for India in second ODI against India (Photo courtesy BCCI)