RAJ & Co. chase history in Potchefstroom

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http://www.cricbuzz.com/live-cricket-scores/19171/rsaw-vs-indw-3rd-odi-icc-championship-match-india-women-tour-of-south-africa-2018

SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN VS INDIA WOMEN
Raj & Co. chase history in Potchefstroom
 
India have already won the three-match ODI series 2-0. 

Series in the bag already, Mithali Raj & Co. would now aim to top it off with their maiden bilateral whitewash against hosts South Africa when the two teams face off in the third and final ODI, in Potchefstroom on Saturday (February 10).

India shrugged off all concerns about the impact of their prolonged, six-month international break could have had, and got into the groove instantly to seal the three-ODI series in Kimberley by winning the first two games convincingly. South Africa, on the other hand, have found it tough going so far, lacking the allround fierceness that almost propelled them to the World Cup final. More than pride, the hosts will be out to salvage the two remaining points on offer in this round of the second edition of the ICC Women's ODI Championship 2017-20.

Easier said than done, though. South Africa's pre-World Cup concerns, majorly batting, has come back to haunt them, and cost them four points at home already. Skipper Dane van Niekerk in the first game and opener Lizelle Lee in the second were the only batters who stood up against India's seasoned bowling attack, but both failed to find any support from the other end. Andrie Steyn couldn't fill in the big shoes of former captain Mignon du Preez, who sat out in the previous encounter, and the experiment to promote Sune Luus up the order didn't get desired results either.

The bowling performance too spiralled in the second game with India looting 136 runs in the final 15 overs, that effectively made all the difference. South Africa were hit hard by the absence of the experienced Shabnim Ismail, who injured herself during team's pre-game warm-up in Kimberley on Wednesday. To add to it, Masabata Klass' ineffective bowling has been a major worry too. The series might be lost but it's still worth two more points, and South Africa will have to lift their game drastically in the short turnaround time to prevent the embarrassment of whitewash that could potentially risk the goodwill built around their World Cup success.

India have been bullish on this tour. Led by opener Smriti Mandhana, who has adapted remarkably well to the South African conditions on her maiden tour, the batting department put the disappointment of the collapse in the first game behind them to rack up a massive 302-run total on the batting-friendly Kimberley track. Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy have all had a decent hit out, too. Punam Raut hasn't quite converted her starts thus far but the return to the venue where she piled on a record-shattering 320-run partnership with Deepti Sharma on their previous tour, last year, would inspire confidence.

Even on the day when the middle-order left them high and dry, India's bowlers pulled things back and made the win seem like a walk in the park. Setting up the win with a three-fer with the new ball in the series opener, Shikha Pandey has taken her tally to 20 wickets in 10 games against South Africa at an average of just 14.65, while Jhulan Goswami is the series' second-highest wicket-taker. The spin stranglehold has been India's x-factor, but that combined with the success of the strike bowlers has put India on cusp of history.

India's last ODI series sweep on foreign soil came over a decade ago, against Ireland who haven't been a part of the Championship, in 2006. A whitewash overseas would do India's confidence a world of good as they return home for what is expected to be two of their toughest Championship rounds - against Australia and England.

When: February 10, 10am Local time, 1:30pm IST

Where: Senwes Park, Potchefstroom

What to expect: Moderately hot and humid day with rain a possibility during the game.

Team News

South Africa: South Africa felt the pinch of the absence of two of their most experienced players - du Preez and Ismail. While the pacer could remain on the sidelines, du Preez will likely return to the playing XI and lend the much-needed stability to the volatile middle-order. Uncapped pacer Zintle Mali could get a look in in place of Klaas, who has failed to impress so far.

India: With the series sealed, India could have ideally experimented by trying out back-up opener Jemimah Rodrigues in place of Raut. However, Raj practically ruled out that possibility after the second match, stating that India's priorities lie in finishing with a 3-0 scoreline.

Did you know?

- Deepti Sharma is only 39 away from completing 1000 ODI runs. Laura Wolvaardt needs just nine.

- Shikha Pandey needs two more wickets to become the 11th Indian to pick 50 wickets in ODIs. South Africa's Ayabonga Khaka is three away from the mark.

- Lizelle Lee is set for her 100th international appearance for South Africa.

What they said?

"We made a couple of careless mistakes that led to the defeat... We have to go back to the basics. Batting for us has been a headache. We got to a point where we sorted it and now it's gone back. We as a team have to sit down and go back to the drawing board and see how we can turn it around in the two days between now and the next game. I think all the players are hurting because it's a home series and you're expected to do well. Also with the World Cup we had, it is something we are very disappointed with - Hilton Moreeng, South Africa's head coach, on the team's batting woes.

"Having [secured] four points will give us more confidence to get into the third one-dayer. Want to finish 3-0. Still have two points to fight for. We definitely won't take South Africa lightly" - Mithali Raj, the Indian captain, on the team's dominating show.

Squads

South Africa: Dane van Niekerk (c), Marizanne Kapp, Trisha Chetty (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Lizelle Lee, Chloe Tryon, Andrie Steyn, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Zintle Mali

India: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Sushma Verma (wk), Smriti Mandhana, Veda Krishnamurthy, Poonam Yadav, Punam Raut, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Mona Meshram, Pooja Vastrakar, Taniya Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Ekta Bisht