Having already booked their berths in the ICC Women’s World Cup, India and South Africa will have a chance to assert their supremacy when they clash in the final of the qualifying tournament here on Tuesday.
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The two teams clinched their World Cup slots with a round to go, in the Super Six stage of the tournament.
India and South Africa were a few notches above the other sides in the 10-team tournament that not only took the top four outfits to the World Cup but also got them places in the ICC Women’s Championship.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are the other teams to have qualified from this tournament to join Australia, England, New Zealand and the West Indies, who had earned their entry by finishing in the top four in the ICC Women’s Championship.
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Bangladesh and Ireland retained their ODI status for the next four years by entering the Super Six stage.
While India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets, South Africa beat Ireland by 36 runs in a rain-reduced match.
India is the only unbeaten team in the tournament while South Africa’s only loss has been against India.
India had defended a total of 205 with ease in their Super Six game at the P. Sara Stadium, which is also the venue for the final.
India captain Mithali, who heads the list of run-scorers with 207 in ODIs in this tournament (matches against teams without ODI status do not classify as ODIs), had led her side’s charge with a fluent 64.
But India will also take confidence from the fact that both the pace and spin bowlers did the trick in defending the target.
New-ball bowler Shikha Pandey took four wickets while left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht grabbed three wickets in that match.
“Our bowling looks good, especially the spinners. But in batting our concern is the opening partnership, especially in the first 10 overs — whether we bat or field, we need to get a good start... it is also imperative that the middle-order scores some runs,” Mithali said.
“Spinners will be effective on these pitches but if the fast bowlers are disciplined and bowl in the corridor, it is difficult to take them for runs, that is what we have seen in this tournament.
These wickets test a batter’s skill of playing turn and it’s also about building momentum.”
For South Africa, 17-year-old opener Laura Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon have come up with crucial performances while the leg-spin pair of captain Dane van Niekerk and Sune Luus have had success.
Pace bowlers Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp too have been effective.
But South Africa’s challenge will be against the India spinners — Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma.
The squads:
India: Mithali Raj (capt.), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Mansi Joshi, Harmanpreet Kaur, M.D. Thirush Kamini, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Shikha Pandey, Deepti Sharma, Sushma Verma, Devika Vaidya, Poonam Yadav, Soni Yadav.
South Africa: Dane van Niekerk (capt.), Trisha Chetty, Moseline Daniels, Yolani Fourie, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Marcia Letsoalo, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Mignon du Preez, Chloe Tyron, Laura Wolvaardt.