Hat-trick of Test Wins: How Harmanpreet Kaur’s India Overcame South Africa’s Resistance in Chennai

India clinched a 10-wicket victory against South Africa in the one-off Test match on Monday, but it was far from an easy win. South Africa put up a strong fight, especially in the last session of the final day. India had to bowl 154.4 overs in the second innings to dismiss South Africa for 373 runs. Chasing a modest target of 37 runs, India achieved it in 9.4 overs.

South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, reached her century early in the first session and looked set to continue. When Day 4 started under gloomy conditions, South Africa had a chance to at least draw the game, which seemed unlikely after India scored over 500 runs on the first day. Even after being bowled out for 266, South Africa showed resilience, battling for four full sessions and pushing India to their limits. Although India secured another commanding Test win, they had to work hard for it in challenging conditions.

India needed to be patient and disciplined to earn each wicket, as the pitch favored the batters. “The pitch was favoring the batters more than the bowlers. Yes, it was difficult,” said player of the match, Shen Rana, who took 10 wickets in the match. “Nowadays, we are getting pitches like this everywhere. It’s all about consistency, using variations, and knowing when to use the stock ball more. These are the learnings from this game,” the off-spinner added.

The determination of South Africa was evident, especially from Wolvaardt. “Losing is disappointing, but the character shown by the group over the last two days was amazing. To concede over 500 runs on day one and still take the match to the last session on day four shows absolute grit and determination,” Wolvaardt said.

With the pitch not breaking up as expected, Wolvaardt adapted to the bounce and played the spinners off the backfoot. When Marizanne Kapp and Delmi Tucker fell in quick succession to Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana, it seemed like another collapse was imminent. Wolvaardt’s dismissal for 122 before lunch gave India hope of closing out the game in the afternoon session.

However, Nadine de Klerk had other plans. She used a loose hand grip to defend against the Indian spinners, who worked tirelessly. Instead of looking for runs, South Africa took a page from the playbook of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, and AB de Villiers during their 2015 tour in Delhi. De Klerk focused on defense, cutting out run-scoring shots. Though India took three wickets in that session, South Africa managed to score 34 runs in 29 overs.

De Klerk remained steadfast, scoring 61 runs off 185 deliveries. Whenever India’s attack seemed to gain control, she would go for a big shot to relieve the pressure. This strategy frustrated India at times, with energy levels dipping. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh could be heard urging her teammates to “keep talking, keep talking.”

“It’s what Test matches are all about. There will be phases with partnerships, but you have to keep your mind and body active. These chirpings help to wake you up. Fielding for over 200 overs is not easy, so you need ways to stay fresh. We tried to stay positive and believed we would eventually win,” Rana added.

In the final session, India picked up the remaining two wickets, with De Klerk being the last to fall, marking the end of South Africa’s resistance. Shubha Satheesh and Shafali Verma completed the job, securing India’s straight home Test win.