Outstanding spin bowling from left armers Chloe Tryon and Nonkululeko Mlaba helped restrict India to a modest total of 147 all out after South Africa chose to bowl first in the second T20 International at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday afternoon.
Tryon collected the first three wickets to fall and finished with 3-22 from her four overs while Mlaba conceded just 17 runs and dismissed top scorer, Shafali Verma, for a fine 57 from just 38 balls.
There was little to suggest India would struggle while dashing opener Verma was flicking and cutting seven fours and driving opening bowler Tumi Sekhukhune (4-0-31-3) for two straight sixes but a middle order implosion saw a collapse from 99-2 to 132-9.
But number 11 Shree Charani hammered a six in the final over from Ayabonga Khaka (4-0-45-0) which cost 15 runs to give the tourists renewed hope of squaring the series on a slow and awkward pitch for batting.
Tryon had Smriti Mandhana (12), Jemimah Rodrigues (2) and Anushka Sharma (28) all caught on the legside playing a variety of sweep shots while captain Harmanpreet Kaur was brilliantly run out by Annerie Dercksen and ‘keeper Sinalo Jafta who deftly backhanded the throw onto the stumps.
The excellent Verma was well caught by Nadine de Klerk on the extra cover boundary against the wily Mlaba.
South Africa hold a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after chasing 158 to win by six wickets in the first match at the same venue on Friday evening. The starting XI is unchanged from the first game while India have made two changes with allrounder Anushka Sharma and bowler Kranti Gaud coming in to the XI.
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wkt), Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba
INDIA: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Arundhati Reddy, Anushka Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud