Nadine De Klerk powers South Africa to an unlikely victory over India

Deep in the 36th over, Kranti Gaud produced a Bumrahesque delivery that crashed into the woodwork of the South African captain Laura Wolvaardt. At 142-6, the Proteas needed 100 for the win, and after several hours of facing the pendulum not knowing which way next, Harmanpreet Kaur might have felt in control of this intriguing encounter in Visakhapatnam. No one reckoned though that Nadine de Klerk might produce a Kluseneresque miracle to secure a thrilling win in the 49th over. She snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, with a sensational 84* off just 54 balls to turn the tide for South Africa.

The match was layered with sub-plots. After being put into bat, Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal appeared to finally get the team off to a robust start. But just out of power play and 55 runs on the board, the leftie sailed one straight to the throat of Sune Luus, who snapped it up with glee. The scent of blood on their nose, the Proteas kept up the pressure with some tidy bowling. Harleen Deol and Rawal appeared to plod along carefully, but the wheels came off in the 17th over. Mayhem followed as India slipped from a healthy 83-1 to 102-6.

With their backs against the wall, Richa Ghosh batting at number eight produced an innings that emulated the grit and determination shown by Beth Mooney a day earlier in Australia's conquest of Pakistan. Ghosh showed remarkable composure, calculated aggression, and unyielding belief.

What followed was an innings for the ages. Ghosh’s counterattacking 94 came off just 77 balls, featuring 11 cracking fours and four sixes. She shared a 51-run stand with Amanjot Kaur (13) and then a momentum-shifting 88-run partnership with Sneh Rana (33), transforming India’s prospects from a state of despair to a relative position of competitiveness.

South Africa’s chase got off to a rocky start as they stumbled to 81/5. At that point, India appeared firmly in control, having picked up wickets regularly through disciplined bowling from Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, and Shree Charani. Laura Wolvaardt’s classy 70 stabilised the innings, but her dismissal looked to end South Africa’s hopes.

Nadine de Klerk then delivered a counterpunch that will long be remembered in World Cup folklore. Batting at No. 8, de Klerk unleashed an unbeaten 84 off only 54 balls, laced with eight fours and five thunderous sixes. With poise and power, she turned a near-certain defeat into an incredible win, frequently attacking India’s bowlers in the closing stages. Her half-century came in just 40 balls, and the acceleration in the last five overs was breathtaking—she scored 45 runs from her final 24 deliveries and finished the match with a towering six off Amanjot Kaur.

Chloe Tryon had a stellar match with both bat and ball. She was not only miserly in her ten overs, but also snagged three important wickets to nail India to the mat. In the chase, when it was South Africa that was on the mat, Tryon combined with de Klerk to add 69 vital runs for the seventh wicket to keep them in the chase.

They are back inside the top four on the table, even though they are trailing India on net run rate. The top four teams reach the semifinals. Bangladesh can replace them in the top quadrant if they defeat England on Friday.

Nadine De Klerk - Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images