4th T20I: All-round Deepti Sharma stars as India beat South Africa by 14 runs, avoid whitewash

NEW DELHI: India produced a strong comeback to beat South Africa by 14 runs in the fourth Women’s T20I in Johannesburg, avoiding a series whitewash. The standout performer was Deepti Sharma, who delivered a complete all-round show, scoring an unbeaten 36 and then dismantling the opposition with a five-wicket haul.Asked to bat first, India had a shaky start as Shafali Verma fell early, followed by Anushka Sharma. At 47/2, the visitors needed stability, which came through Jemimah Rodrigues. She played a composed knock of 43 and stitched a crucial partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur (22), helping India cross the 100-run mark.However, just as India looked set for a bigger total, they lost wickets in quick succession and slipped to 122/5. At that stage, the innings needed a late push. Deepti stepped up along with Richa Ghosh, who scored an unbeaten 34. The duo added 65 runs for the sixth wicket, finishing strongly and taking India to a competitive 185/5 in 20 overs.South Africa started their chase confidently, with Sune Luus (40) and Tazmin Brits (30) building momentum early. The hosts looked in control at one stage, keeping up with the required run rate.But Deepti once again made the difference. She picked up key wickets at crucial moments, breaking partnerships and putting pressure back on the batters. Her spell of 5/19 completely shifted the game in India’s favour.With support from the rest of the bowling unit, South Africa were restricted to 171/9. Although the hosts still lead the series 3-1, India’s win keeps them alive and gives them confidence heading into the final match.