IND W vs SA W: Sneh Rana continues red ball dominance claiming eight wicket haul against South Africa in one off Test

Sneha Rana. (Source – BCCI)

India Women are leading the charge in the One-Off Test against South Africa Women at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. On the back of the double century by Shafali Verma, India posted a commanding total of 603 runs before declaring on Day 2. When South Africa entered the fray, Sneh Rana dismantled their batting as she unleashed her onslaught by picking eight wickets.

Rana bowled 25.3 overs with four maidens and gave away just 77 runs to claim her eight-wicket haul. As a result, the Proteas’ innings saw an end with 266 runs on board as India invited them for a follow-on. Chasing a target of 337 runs will be an uphill task for the visitors as the Chennai deck becomes conducive to the bowlers entering Day 3. Apart from Rana, Deepti Sharma chipped in two wickets for the India Women.

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“It was so satisfying to take Wolvaardt’s wicket. The openers were playing well and we just wanted to get the first breakthrough. It was Wolvaardt and I was elated to get that,” Rana said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Rana showed her artistry against Australia in Mumbai

The off-spinner has been the go-to bowler for India as she showcased her prowess with the ball against mighty Australia in the One-Off Test in December 2023. She had claimed seven wickets as India were left to chase just 75 runs in a historic victory against Aussies. She was named as the Player of the Match and she credited her success to keeping things simple and acknowledging that Test cricket is a different ball game altogether.

“The preparations were very simple. There was no need to experiment because red-ball cricket is a long game. As far as my bowling is concerned, my preparations have always been around bowling the right channels and back my strengths. So, I did the same in this Test and the previous one. I remained calm and did not experiment,” Rana had said after the win.