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Shafali Verma © Getty Images |
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, the hosts set about building a big first innings score with opening batters Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana cracking unbeaten half centuries to give their side the perfect start.
Verma was the aggressor, hitting a six and 11 fours in her 65 off 75 balls, while Mandhana continued her good form from the ODI series, scoring 64 off 93 balls and hitting 12 fours.
India had a chanceless first session, but they were initially held back by the Proteas' tight bowling, scoring 31 runs in the first 12 overs.
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However, the wheels came off spectacularly as the openers increased the pressure, aided by some decidedly average bowling, and plundered 99 runs off the next 16 overs, cruising past the 50-run mark in the 14th over, while Mandhana brought up the century in style with a boundary in the 25th.
Heading into the second session, the Proteas will be desperate to make an early breakthrough and make inroads into the Indian batting order; otherwise, the South Africans may have a long day on the field.
INDIA WOMEN: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Shuba Satheesh, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Jemima Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Ranuka Singh Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
PROTEAS WOMEN: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Delmi Tucker, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Annerie Dercksen, Tumi Sekhukhune, Masabata Klaas Nonkululeko Mlaba
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