India's Richa Gosh lights up Vizag after Proteas Women let it slip with sloppy death bowling

Indian wicket-keeper Richa Gosh struck an electrifying 94 off 77 balls to set the Proteas a challenging 252 in their ICC Women's World Cup clash in Thursday’s crucial World Cup tie in Visakhapatnam.

Gosh, who walked to the crease in the unfamiliar No 8 position, rebuilt India's total from 102/6 with her dynamic strokeplay.

The Proteas were in the pound seats earlier in the innings with left-arm spin again proving to be the kryptonite of this 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup.

England’s Linsey Smith ran through the Proteas in their opening game before Pakistan's Nashra Sandhu gave defending champions Australia an almighty fright. 

Now it was the turn of Proteas duo Nonkululeko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon to spin their web around India’s much-vaunted batting unit.

India’s World No 1 ranked opener Smitri Mandhana's timing seems to have deserted her in this World Cup, as she plodded her way to another fidgety start of 23 off 32 balls. When Mlaba offered up a teasing second delivery through the air, Mandhana took the bait and attempted to break the shackles by advancing down the wicket to launch it down the ground. 

But the contact was made nowhere near the sweet spot and only managed to offer Sune Luus a comfortable catch on the boundary. India were 55/1 after 10.2 overs.

The next 15.4 overs saw India add just 47 runs for the loss of five further wickets as the Proteas spinners Mlaba and Tryon (3/32) along with the recalled medium-pacer Tumi Sekhukhune tightened the screws.

Mlaba delivered arguably the ball of the tournament to clean bowl Harleen Deol. It was a left-arm spinner’s dream delivery, with the ball floated in before gripping off the surface to spin past Deol’s outside edge before crashing into the off stump.

India were intimidated by the prodigiously turning ball as the new batters crept into their shells that allowed Mlaba, Tryon and Sekhukhune to bowl a consistent line at them. 

The intent of the Indian innings had dissipated with no Indian batter looking to sweep or reverse-sweep in a bid to disrupt the lengths and lines of the Proteas bowlers.

Sekhukhune joined the party when she flummoxed Rawal (37 off 56 balls) with an outrageous slower ball - timed at 47.5 km/h - which the opener scooped to Tazmin Brits at short mid-wicket. 

Tryon struck an incisive double blow by removing India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (9) and Jemimah Rodriguez (0) before Marizanne Kapp returned to the attack to account for Deepti Sharma, who was caught smartly down the leg-side by wicket-keeper Sinalo Jafta.

It was only when Gosh arrived at the crease that India showed some aggression against the spinners. Gosh struck the first boundary in 86 balls to begin the home team's recovery.

The powerful right-hander rallied India's tail by taking an advantage of poor death bowling, particularly from Nadine de Klerk and Ayabonga Khaka.

Gosh belted 16 runs from a De Klerk's sixth over before Khaka bled 19 runs due to delivering a buffet of full tosses during an 88-run partnership with tailender Sneh Rana (33 off 24 balls)

The tide turned dramatically in the home team's favour with De Klerk and Anneke Bosch spilling catches in the deep and Jafta failing to run out the rampant Gosh as the Proteas conceded 98 runs in the final 10 overs.

ICC WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

India: 251 all out off 49.5 overs (Gosh 94, Rawal 37, Rana 33, Tryon 3/32, Kapp 2/45, Mlaba 2/46)

Proteas require 252 to win