T20

Right then, the 2nd T20I between India Women and South Africa Women at Chennai has been officially called off due to rain and it is not the result any player or fan ever wants to see especially when the game was so nicely set up after the first innings. However, this result ensures that South Africa Women cannot lose the T20I series as they have a 1-0 lead and there's just one more game to go. The Proteas got the job done in the first game and their series-losing streak on this tour has ended too. India Women would have wanted to get back on level terms before the final game but will now have to win the game to end the series on 1-1. The 3rd and final T20I will be played at the same venue in Chennai on Tuesday, 9 July and will begin at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT). However, as usual, you can join us a lot earlier for the build-up of that clash. Till then, take care and goodbye!

UPDATE 10.06 pm IST (4.36 pm GMT) - IT IS OFFICIAL! RAIN HAS PLAYED SPOILSPORT AND THIS MATCH HAS BEEN ABANDONED!

UPDATE 9.57 pm IST (4.27 pm GMT) - We are getting closer and closer to that cut-off time of 10.13 pm IST (4.43 pm GMT) and it seems that the rain has again picked up and the crowd is starting to make its way out of the venue. No official word yet but we shouldn't be far away from some concrete news from the stadium. Stay tuned.

UPDATE 9.41 pm IST (4.11 pm GMT) - Uh, oh! The drizzle seems to have gotten a bit thicker and steadier again. Not what everyone was hoping for but the ground staff are still doing the rounds and working hard to keep the field of play ready at the earliest once the rain stops. Stick around as we should get some official news pretty soon.

UPDATE 9.33 pm IST (4.03 pm GMT) - We have already started losing overs for a few minutes now and the official cut-off time for a five-over chase is 10.13 pm IST (4.43 pm GMT). Also, there's some news from the ground that the drizzled has reduced quite a bit and the umpires are inpsecting the ground.. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that we do get a complete game in. Stay tuned for more updates.

UPDATE 9.19 pm (3.49 pm GMT) - No news regarding the start of the chase yet but it seems that the drizzle has actually picked up. The visuals do show that more of the ground is covered at the moment and not just the pitch. Unfortunately, it seems we are in for a longer delay than anticipated at first. And, as we wait for updates from the ground, let us take you back to the Indian Men's team that featured early on in their 2nd T20I against Zimbabwe. After being handed a humbling defeat, the fairly young and inexperienced Indian brigade bounced back quickly. Abhishek Sharma was the star of the show as he struck a brilliant ton and both the batting and bowling was sound. India scored 234 runs and bundled out the opposition for 134 runs, rounding up an impressive 100-run victory.

UPDATE 9.04 pm IST (3.34 pm GMT) - Well, well! The innings break is over and we expected to see the players coming out for the chase but instead, the pitch is under covers. It seems to be just a drizzle at the moment and the umpire is seen having a discussion with the ground staff. For now, the start of the chase is delayed but hopefully, it will be a prompt resumption just like we had before the first ball was bowled. Stick around for more updates.

…THE RUN CHASE…

Right then, India Women needs 178 to get a win and level the series. The pitch is a belter and with dew around, batting should not be a problem. South Africa Women will find it hard to grip the ball and India Women will want to cash in on that. So, Can India Women get the job done or will South Africa Women take the series and make it 2-0 with a game to go? We shall find out. Join us in a bit for the second essay.

Anneke Bosch is down for a chat. She says that the outing was good but it was a bit difficult for her as the pitch was slower than expected and then she tried to just build a partnership later on. Adds that they are happy with the score on the board but do need to bowl well. Mentions that with the start they had in the Powerplay, they were looking at a similar score to the one in the last game but had to re-assess as the pitch got slower later on.

India Women made four changes to their lineup and were slightly better with the ball today. They gave away few freebies at the start of the innings but came strongly by picking wickets at regular intervals. At one stage, South Africa Women looked like crossing the 200-run mark but some tight bowling did not allow that for them. Deepti Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 20 in her spell while Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav picked one each. Pooja Vastrakar bowled with good pace and troubled the Proteas batting. She ended with 2 for 37 in her 4 overs.

A hat-trick of boundaries in the final over the innings takes South Africa Women to a powerful score of 177 for 6 in their 20 overs. Having sent into bat first, South Africa Women skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits started on an aggressive note and added 43 for the first wicket in just over 4 overs. Wolvaardt was dismissed for a quick-fire 22 but Tazmin Brits carried on and slammed her second fifty of the T20I series. Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, and Nadine de Klerk all played their part in the middle overs while Annerie Dercksen belted three boundaries in a row to end the innings on a high.

FOUR! What a stellar finish by Annerie Dercksen. Just short of a length from Pooja Vastrakar and outside off, Annerie Dercksen stands tall and is able to power the ball away with excellent timing and over the cover region to make it a hat-trick of boundaries. South Africa Women finish with 177/6 on the board!

FOUR! Adding insult to injury! On a good length and outside off stump, Annerie Dercksen keeps her shape and smashes the ball through the cover region for a boundary. That was hit really well!

DROPPED AND FOUR! Would you believe it? Jemimah Rodrigues has put down a sitter and she seemed a bit casual there. Banged in short over middle, Annerie Dercksen gets on top of the bounce and pulls it aerially to the right of deep mid-wicket. Rodrigues is quick to cover the ground to her right but fails to keep her eyes on the ball and spills it onto the ropes.

Short of a length again and angled in from around middle, Eliz-Mari Marx gets hurried on and takes a blow to the mid riff. The ball rolls to the off side and they get a quick leg bye.

Ooh, that was fiery! A well-directed bumper now, right at the batter and Eliz-Mari Marx does well to duck under it.

Eliz-Mari Marx is in at 8.