South Africa's Nadine de Klerk didn't hold back after her match-winning unbeaten 84 guided the Proteas to a thrilling three-wicket victory over India in the Women's ODI World Cup 2025 league stage at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday. With the hosts defending 251 for 7—built on Smriti Mandhana's 78 and Jemimah Rodrigues' 52—India appeared poised to defend the total after reducing South Africa to 211 for 7 in 46 overs. However, de Klerk's calculated assault in the death overs turned the tide, exposing what she described as deliberate time-wasting tactics by the Indian side amid rising concerns over 'injury drama' in white-ball cricket.
The controversy peaked in the 47th over, bowled by pacer Kranti Gaud, when de Klerk unleashed two sixes and a four in three balls, slashing the equation to 23 off 18. At that juncture, Indian wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh collapsed with an unspecified injury, halting play and drawing sharp scrutiny. De Klerk, speaking in the post-match press conference, labelled it a clear ploy to disrupt momentum. "Yeah, look, I think we just kind of questioned whether something really happened," she said.
"We obviously felt like it was quite tactical from India to try and slow the game down. But in the end, it actually worked out quite well because we also got a bit of a refreshment, and it just gave me a few seconds to restart my head and my game plans." She added that the Proteas were prepared for such interruptions, turning the delay to their advantage in a high-stakes chase.
This incident underscores a growing trend in limited-overs cricket, where teams exploit injury timeouts to regroup, a tactic critics argue umpires lack the authority to curb effectively. The International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced time-wasting penalties in 2023, but enforcement remains inconsistent, especially in women's matches where physical demands are evolving. India's approach echoed similar complaints in recent T20Is, prompting calls from former players like Mithali Raj for stricter guidelines.
South Africa's composure paid off: after the break, de Klerk targeted Gaud and Amanjot Kaur, smashing two more sixes in the 49th over off Kaur, sealing the win with Chloe Tryon (18 not out). The victory boosted South Africa's net run rate to +0.45, placing them second behind unbeaten Australia (+1.12) in a tournament featuring 10 teams vying for four semifinal spots from October 1 to November 2.
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De Klerk credited smart cricket on a spin-friendly pitch, where India's trio of Deepti Sharma (2/45), Sneh Rana, and Sree Charani stifled the middle order. "Seam was much easier on this wicket to score off," she explained. "Their spinners bowled really well in that middle phase, and we knew they'd have to bring seamers—that was the much easier option." Her 54-ball knock, blending aggression with simplicity, highlighted her evolution from a lower-order finisher to a top-flight all-rounder, with 23 wickets in ODIs this year.
India, now 2-1 in the league, faces Bangladesh next on October 15, while South Africa meets New Zealand. As the World Cup progresses, de Klerk's candid remarks may spark broader debates on gamesmanship, reminding teams that resilience often trumps ruse in the quest for glory.
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