Young off-spinner Shreyanka Patil expressed her delight as India secured a commanding 3-0 ODI series victory over South Africa. Reflecting on the team’s triumph, Patil highlighted the lessons learned from their earlier defeat against Australia.
Earlier this year, India faced a 0-3 series loss to Australia, prompting introspection and strategic adjustments. “After that series, we analyzed our performance, identifying what went wrong and what went right,” Patil shared during the post-match press conference following India’s six-wicket win in the final ODI. “We stayed connected through video calls, which kept us united.”
India’s preparation included specialized camps focusing on bowling, batting, and fielding. “We worked hard, and it paid off. The way we dominated in Bangalore with a 3-0 sweep is just incredible. We’re really happy,” Patil added.
Patil was particularly thrilled to take the wicket of veteran South African batter Marizanne Kapp. “There was some turn for us. I saw the ball turning back into the batter and suggested to Harmanpreet Kaur that I come around the wicket. She gave me the go-ahead,” Patil recounted. “Kapp was playing uppishly, so I bowled my best off-spin, and she was caught and bowled. I had visualized getting Kapp or Laura Wolvaardt out this way, and it happened. I’m very happy.”
South African wicketkeeper-batter Mieke de Ridder, who made her ODI debut in this series, acknowledged the positive takeaways for her team. “We performed well in the power plays and formed good partnerships, with senior players like Wolvaardt and Kapp stepping up. That’s the biggest positive from this series,” de Ridder commented.
