Indian women's cricket team would look to continue its supremacy over South Africa when the two sides clash in the second Twenty20 International, in East London, on Friday.
New Zealand bowlers Hayley Jensen and Leigh Kasperek picked up three wickets each to help the White Ferns defend a low score and beat Bangladesh by 17 runs in the Women's Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday and stay in the hunt for a semi-final berth from Group A.
India's unpredictable middle-order has repeatedly squandered good starts at the women's T20 World cup. In all the three matches, the bowling unit bailed the side out.
On a high after two easy victories on the trot, including one against defending champions Australia, India will aim to inch closer to a semi-final berth when it takes on New Zealand in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, in Melbourne, on Thursday.
With two games being completely washed out, the series was extended from five to six matches and India needed to win on the day to seal the series.
Star of the match Deepti said her effort was the "best bowling performance" of her career.
The Indian women's cricket team suffered a five-wicket defeat to England in the second T20 International, surrendering the series with a sixth straight loss in the shortest format.
India will play three ODIs in New Zealand beginning January 24 as part of the ICC Women's Championship before playing three T20 Internationals.
Australia's captain Meg Lanning says her team is going into the Wt20 final against India not just to put on a good show, but win it.
India have been doing well in the 50-over format but they have plenty to ponder about in the shortest form, having lost their previous series in New Zealand 0-3.
Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav's magical spell helped India beat Australia by 17 runs in the tournament opener on Friday but the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side can't afford to take Bangladesh lightly as their eastern neighbours had beaten them twice in the 2018 T20 Asia Cup.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who did not get to do much in ODIs in which Mithali Raj was captain, will lead the T20 side.
The 15-year-old Shafali, who was dismissed for a four-ball duck on her debut in the opening match, laid the foundation for a good total with a 33-ball innings, while Jemimah Rodrigues (33) provided the stablity, scoring a 22-ball 33.
Veteran Mithali Raj's retirement from the T20 format paved the way for the induction of youngsters such as 15-year-old rookie Shafali Verma in the Indian women's team for the upcoming home T20 Internationals against South Africa.
After winning the ODI series 2-1, Indian women lost momentum and subsequently conceded an unassailable 2-0 lead against England.
India beat Ireland by 52 runs to enter the semi-finals of the ICC Women's World T20 on Thursday.
Indian batting is prone to collapses, especially from a position of strength. Chasing 160, India were going strong at 102 for 1 but Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues's dismissals proved fatal for the visitors who collapsed to 136 all out, bringing back memories of their inexplicable surrender in the 2017 50-over World Cup final against England.
Riding on Mithali Raj's record century, India 'A' defeated their Australian counterparts by 28 runs to take a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 series in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Team India needs to ensure that the frequent middle-order collapses are not repeated in the showpiece event.
'I've lost count of the number of times I've said no to sex, because I am tired, and how it has led to air punches, banging of doors, muffled expletives by the other half.' 'With time, we've learned to talk it out and have an arrangement that I'd like to believe works for both of us,' notes Radha Yadav, our newest columnist.
India will face their biggest challenge so far in the ICC Women's World T20 when they lock horns with a gifted Australian team in an inconsequential game, in Guyana, on Saturday.
Having won the three-match ODI series 2-1, India are currently leading the five-match T20 series 2-0.
All that's transpired on and off the cricket pitch on Wednesday.
Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney struck the highest scores in ICC Women's T20 World Cup final history as record-breaking Australia secured a famous fifth title on home soil, in Melbourne, on Sunday. A record-breaking attendance for a women's cricket match of 86,174 watched on as Australia downed first-time finalists India by 85 runs at the MCG, with the openers setting the tone for a clinical performance.
Meg Lanning's Australia, long the benchmark in women's cricket, will bid for a record-extending fifth T20 World Cup title after a rocky ride to their sixth final. Harmanpreet Kaur-captained India arrive at the MCG undefeated and without having bowled a ball in the rained-out semi-final against England.
Chasing a record total, New Zealand could only muster 160 for 9 in their 20 overs.
In the lead-up to the World T20, India have hit good form, beating hosts Sri Lanka before blanking Australia A at home. What should give them additional confidence going into the opener is the wins against reigning champions West Indies and England in the warm-up matches.
The Indian women's team almost pulled off a dramatic win but failed to score a boundary in the final delivery to lose the third and final T20 International against New Zealand by a mere two runs in Hamilton.
Smriti Mandhana smashed 58 from just 34 balls but a middle order collapse saw India lose to New Zealand by 23 runs in the first T20 International.
The Indian women's cricket team would be aiming for quick recovery from a rare setback when it takes on South Africa in the fourth Twenty20 International, where a win would give the visitors an unbeatable series lead, in Centurion, on Wednesday.
Indian women's cricket team would look to extend its domination in the shortest format and achieve a rare double series win
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