All-rounder Deepti Sharma spun a web around South African batswomen during the first T20I of the series in Surat that saw the home side register an 11-run victory and go 1-0 up in the series. She recorded figures of 4-3-8-3 with all the eight runs coming in her final over.
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Deepti didn’t concede a single run in her first three overs, during which she scalped the wickets of Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk and Shabnim Ismail to push south Africa on the backfoot. Her spell saw South Africa crumble under pressure and in the end, the home side successfully defended the total.
Twitterati were in all awe of the all-rounder, who spun India to a victory. Here are some of the best tweets on her spell –
Read More: Watch: Furious Rohit Sharma Asks Navdeep Saini To Use His Brain
Deepti Sharma today against SA Woman's team
4 overs
3 maidens
8 runs
3 wickets
Freakish! Internet would've exploded if any Men's cricketer would've done this.
— N Murali Krishna (@YoYoNmk) September 24, 2019
First runs off Deepti Sharma's bowling on the 19th ball she bowled in this game. Only three players bowled more dots balls before conceding their first run in a T20I game. #INDWvSAW
— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) September 24, 2019
@GuerillaSA Deepti Sharma was the difference between the sides! 3 wickets, 3 maidens, 4 overs, 8 runs. WOW!
Well done India!#IndWvSAW #INDvSA— Otto Saayman (@ozzmaster) September 24, 2019
We are proud of you Deepti Sharma ??❤️
India beat South Africa by 11 runs in their first T20I match ??
3 OVER-3 MAIDENS-3 WICKETS..????????@BCCIWomen@BCCI#दिप्तीशर्मा pic.twitter.com/vUXXm2WPoR— Kishlay Kumar (@realkishlay) September 24, 2019
Congratulations to Indian woman cricket team for wining t20 match…!
Everyone did well.. Deepti sharma and radha balled nicely.. Jai ho..!— Bhoopendra Yadav (@Bhoopen42377893) September 24, 2019
Deepti Sharma 4-3-8-3 ?
Are these the best bowling figures you've seen in a long time? ?
— SportsWord (@SW_SportsWord) September 24, 2019
Had the spells been even in a Men's Ranji match, they would have been discussed more. The Deepti Sharma spell had 3 maidens which gave 3 wickets. She concealed only 8 runs and that too in only her last over. A stumping and a run-out from Taniya which were outstanding…
— Niyati Shah (@NiyatiS37865860) September 24, 2019
Well Played Deepti Sharma @Deepti_Sharma06 ?? 3-0 , 3- Maidens , 3- Wickets . #indvssa #womenscricket
— Jay Patel (@_imjaypatel_) September 24, 2019
Earlier, South Africa had won the toss and opted to bowl first. Ismail provided a dream start to the visitors as she got the wicket of debutant Shafali Verma on the fourth ball of the first over. India did have small partnerships but were 3 down for 58 after 9.5 overs.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led the team from the front with an innings of 43 off 34 she propelled India to a defendable total of 130/8 on the board.
South Africa had a brilliant start as they had 18 runs on the board after the completion of first over. Soon, Shikhar Pandey got the wicket of Lizelle Lee. Deepti capitalised on the fall of an early wicket and chipped in with twin wickets of Tazmin Brits and Klerk to put South Africa under pressure. She also did not give a run in her first three overs and kept the batswomen under check.
WATCH: @Deepti_Sharma06 ’s match-winning spell of 3/8
Three straight maiden overs and three wickets from the all-rounder as she spun a web around the SA batters. @Paytm #INDWvsSAW
LINK? – https://t.co/xZKHvuoXcf pic.twitter.com/dWZG2LYkQx
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 24, 2019
Mignon du Preez did keep the hopes of her team alive till he final over but in the end, India kept their nerves and registered a win.
They are now 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series. The next four T20Is will be played at the same venue on September 26, 29, October 1 and 4. Following the T20I series, the two teams will play a three-match ODI series in Vadodara from October 9 to 14.
