India v South Africa, 2nd ODI as it happened: Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut take hosts to 9-wicket win

3.04 pm: Player of the match Jhulan Goswami: “It is challenging to play after a year. Tried to put the ball in the right areas. I always share my insights with the youngsters. Since the World Cup has been postponed to next year, I know I have to work hard on my fitness to be ready.”

3.02 pm: India captain Mithali Raj: “Our opening bowlers bowled well and put pressure on them. The spinners too found their rhythm in the middle overs. The fielding was good too. It looked like we had rhythm. We analysed after the first game what was needed to improve. I had a lot of feedback on the ground so that shows everyone was involved in the game as a unit.”

STAT ALERT: Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut’s 138* for the 2nd wicket is India’s highest partnership for any wicket v SA in this format. Courtesy @_hypocaust.

End of match: Handshakes all around. The tables, how they turn in sport. It is fair to say that India were not as bad as the first ODI made them out to be and the same can be said for South Africa. From a neutral perspective, hopefully the next match sees them both play at their best. India beat South Africa by nine wickets to level the series 1-1. A superb turnaround in just a day as India bounce back in style. Jhulan Goswami - 4/42, Smriti Mandhana - 80* off 64.

1st ODI: South Africa’s biggest win over India in the format in terms of wickets remaining. (8)

 2nd ODI: India’s biggest win over South Africa in the format in terms of wickets remaining. (9)

INDIA WIN: Back to back boundaries for Smriti Mandhana who moves on to 80* as India win by nine wickets.

India 151/1 after 28 overs: Another boundary for Raut. She is now picking gaps for fun.

India 143/1 after 27 overs: Punam Raut reaches her half century with a scoop over the keeper of a medium pacer. Who was that talking about moving at a different gear earlier?! A fifty off 79 balls. And now striking at 65-plus. First 20 runs, 47 balls. Next 35 runs, 36 balls

FIFTY for PUNAM RAUT! The India No 3 brings up her 14th ODI half-century off 79 balls, playing the perfect foil to Smriti Mandhana.

India 134/1 after 26 overs: Punam Raut has steadily increased her scoring rate as she often does when well set. The strike rate has gone past 60 now. A boundary and a couple in that over.

India 116/1 after 23 overs: Eventful last couple of overs. Raut goes for a slog sweep down the ground and a fairly simple catch is put down at long on. Khaka the unlucky bowler. Next over, Mandhana gets a reprieve as she is caught off a full toss by Luus. She came down the track and met the ball shoulder high. That is an interesting call from the umpires. Finishes the over with a fantastic drive down the ground. India cruising, SA unravelling a bit.

Zenia D’Cunha: Watching Smriti Mandhana bat, with that smooth southpaw touch & timing, is always delight. Remember her previous outing before this series, a superb knock in the Women’s T20 Challenge final? It’s like the long break & first ODI didn’t happen. A class apart.

India 100/1 after 21 overs: The Indian opener is in superb touch as she brings up her 18th ODI half-century with a sixth Four of the innings

FIFTY FOR SMRITI MANDHANA! A 46-ball half century for one of the game’s foremost openers. A pull shot followed by a square drive for two boundaries off Ismail no less. What an incredible batter.

A boundary through third man region brings up the 50-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut, coming off 80 balls

India 61/1 after 15 overs: Finally some momentum for Raut. A big over for India. Wide for four followed by two boundaries for Raut, a full toss hit over midwicket and then an uppish drive down the ground. She needed that. Mlaba being targeted for some quick runs perhaps.

The 50 comes up for India in the 14th over, with Mandhana and Raut at the crease

India 49/1 after 13 overs: Spin comes in to the attack with Nonkululeko Mlaba and after a tidy first few balls, Smriti Mandhana ends the over with a fluid Six – her third of the innings. Super shot. Khaka then bowls a tidy over from the other end. Raut is currently batting on 6* off 25 balls.

India 40/1 after 11 overs: Khaka continues and Mandhana helps herself to another boundary. Another drive through the offside

India 35/1 after 10 overs: Finally, the shackles are broken. Mandhana moves on to 22 off 21 balls with a boundary through mid-off. Top shot off Ismail.

Aditya Chaturvedi: Every time a batter struggles, a commentator will go: “Just look for a single and get off strike.” If only that wasn’t, in fact, the toughest thing to do when you’re out of form.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Punam Raut and her slow starts are a concern India need to address. I know she does a job if India get in early trouble but it is high time for a different approach. If she can’t bat a bit freely while chasing 158, I don’t know when she can. Either she needs to change her style or India need to bring Rodrigues back to No 3 and give Priya Punia a go at the top (if Shafali Verma is not an option).

India 27/1 after 7 overs: BIG CHANCE! Smriti Mandhana would have been gone by some distance if the direct hit had happened. She drove one down the ground and took off, seemed a little slow at the end and then had to dive, would not have saved her. Raut then plays out the over. Her tryst with slow starts continue.

India 25/1 after 6 overs: A maiden over by Marizanne Kapp as South Africa pull things back nicely after that expensive first over.

Zenia D’Cunha: Jemimah Rodrigues won’t be at all happy with the way she is dismissed as her rough patch in international cricket continues... Her displeasure evident, hoping the missing link is fixed soon

India 22/0 after 4 overs: A couple of polite enquiries from Kapp for a LBW against Rodrigues. Bounce an issue both times.

India 21/0 after 3 overs: A nervy moment for JR as she uppishly drives on towards point, falls short of the fielder. But she gets going in that over with a delightful on drive for four. Expensive start for Ismail.

India 16/0 after 2 overs: SIX and SIX! What a start for India as Smriti Mandhana back-to-back maximums in the first over as she takes on the short ball first and then a bouncer from Ismail. She does tend to pull sometimes instinctively even if the field is set for it, but gets the maximum output here. Kapp with a steady second over from the other end.

Smriti Mandhana, 1st ODI: Four off the first ball. Cover drive. 

Smriti Mandhana, 2nd ODI: Six off the first ball, six off the second ball. Pull shots.   

12.52 pm: Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana did not have a good outing in the first match and here they have the chance to build a good partnership. Time for the run-chase.

As Jhulan Goswami produces another superb spell for India, here’s her inspirational journey.

Sacrifices, hard work, will to succeed: Jhulan Goswami’s cricketing journey is the stuff of legends

Innings break: Join us shortly for the run-chase.

End of innings: SA 157 all out as Jhulan Goswami and Rajeshwari Gayakawad take seven between them.

Over 40.6, WICKET! South Africa all out for 157 in 41 overs as Gayakwad gets her third. Mlaba hits is straight to Mithali Raj at cover.

Over 40.1, WICKET! Rajeshwari Gayakwad gets her second as Chetty slogs one to Harmanpreet at long on. That is actually a really good catch by the Indian VC, running in. SA 156/9.

South Africa 156/8 after 40 overs: WHAT A SPELL! Almost sets up the perfect wicket with a inswinger to Khaka but the SA batter keeps that out. Finishes with four wickets, sensational figures of 4/42 from 10 overs.

SA 153/8 and Jhulan Goswami will come on to bowl the 10th over to look for a five-for...

Over, 37.5, WICKET!!!! AGAIN BOWLED! Jhulan Goswami is not denied for long as she gets her third and fourth wicket in the next over Nadine de Klerk & Shabnim Ismai are out. This is a perfect delivery to the left-hander. Rolling her fingers again and it is PERFECTLY top of off. SA 144/8

Over, 37.3: WICKET! And Jhulan will not be denied her third. A split-grip slower delivery, the ball drifts away from de Klerk. And the change of pace means she can only drag into on the stumps. Brilliant bowling by the Indian pacer. SA 144/7.

South Africa 141/6 after 36 overs: WICKET OFF A NO BALL! Goswami and India were celebrating another wicket as Chetty flicked one to square leg. But the veteran has overstepped by a small margin. There was a boundary in that over too, an outside edge for de Klerk.

Well, is that reverse we are seeing? Hint of the ball tailing in a couple of times in that over from Jhulan Goswami.

South Africa 132/6 after 35 overs: A break in play in that over as de Klerk got herself into a tangle facing a Poonam Yadav googly that didn’t bounce much. Needed treatment. Goswami continues from the other end.

UPDATE: 

Mansi Joshi brought back into the attack, wicket in the 2nd over.

Rajeshwari Gayakwad brought back into the attack, wicket in the 1st over.

Jhulan Goswami brought back into the attack, wicket in the 1st over (first ball).  

Harmanpreet Kaur brought into the attack, wicket in the 1st over

Over 33.1, WICKET!!! ANOTHER BOWLING CHANGE WORKS! Goodall was one short of a brilliant fifty but she is bowled by Harmanpreet Kaur for 49 (77). Nice celebration for the Indian vice-captain, a birthday gift (delayed by a day) if you will. Over the wicket to LHB, playing down the wrong line and the ball sneaks in through the gap. SA 130/6 after 34. A wicket-maiden.

South Africa 126/5 after 32 overs: Jhulan Goswami continues from one end as India perhaps sense another wicket from the veteran with Poonam Yadav from the other end. WK Trisha Chetty is the new batter in.

Correction: The wicket was first ball of 30th over. SA 119/5 after 30 overs with Goodall on 43.

Mansi Joshi brought back into the attack, wicket in the 2nd over.

Rajeshwari Gayakwad brought back into the attack, wicket in the 1st over.

Jhulan Goswami brought back into the attack, wicket in the 1st over.

Over 29.2, WICKET! Jhulan Goswami strikes immediately after drinks break! The bowling change works for India as the pacer has her second wicket of the day. Marizanne Kapp finds fielder at midwicket off a length ball that took a leading edge. South Africa are 5 down in under 30 overs

South Africa 113/4 after 29 overs: A good over for SA as Kapp scores a four off Gayakwad with a superb backfoot punch. Poonam Yadav comes back and concedes two runs as Mithali rotates her spinners around.

South Africa 104/4 after 27 overs: Just as the words “India’s fielding has been sharp today” were typed here, Poonam Yadav misfields at short-fine to concede a boundary in Deepti Sharma’s over. 100 came up in that over for SA with Kapp joining Goodall.

Over 25.5, WICKET! GAYAKWAD STRIKES! This is just a brilliant phase of play for India. Gayakwad is back into the attack and Deepti Sharma takes a sharp low catch at cover as du Preez’s innings is cut short on 11. Tossed up nicely, inviting the drive, and Deepti does the rest. SA 99/4.

South Africa 95/3 after 25 overs: Du Preez, South Africa’s leading run-getter in ODIs, is off to a very solid start here. She did not have a good ODI series last time around when they played in Vadodara but she can take away the game from India in no time. Spin in tandem again with Yadav and Sharma.

South Africa 87/3 after 23 overs: Du Preez is a superb middle order bat and India know it well. She gets going with a cover drive for four off Joshi.

Over 21, WICKET! MANSI JOSHI AGAIN! The feeling of a breakthrough and a big wicket is evident on Joshi’s face. She has been brilliant so far today. A wicket in the 2nd over of her 2nd spell, and that of a well-set Sune Luus. We did tell you she looked like India’s best bet for a breakthrough didn’t we? Great fourth stump line, good length. Outside edge taken safely. SA 80/3. A wicket maiden.

South Africa 80/2 after 20 overs: A good over from Joshi on her return to the attack, just one run. She probably seems India’s best bet for a wicket. Poonam Yadav recovers well from the expensive first over.

The commentators discussing the announcement of the Test match between India and England later this year, more here.

Indian women’s team to play a one-off Test match against England, says BCCI secretary Jay Shah

Pause, rewind, play: When Mithali Raj & Co stunned England in 2014, the last year they played a Test

South Africa 75/2 after 18 overs: FIFTY PARTNERSHIP! The introduction of Poonam Yadav results in two boundaries. Brilliant from Luus, drives one and sweeps one for four. Problems for India.

South Africa 65/2 after 17 overs: Sharma concedes a four too and this is time Luus does the scoring. This is great recovery by the visitors led by their captain. Indian spinners once again not looking threatening, as Poonam Yadav comes on.

South Africa 56/2 after 15 overs: The 50 comes up for South Africa in the 14th over as Sune Luus and Lara Goodall look to rebuild. A boundary for the latter down the ground against Gayakwad, who is not quite enjoying a good first spell.

South Africa 49/2 after 13 overs: Good rotation of strike in that over from Luus and Goodall who are starting to build a good partnership. Time for the first drinks break.

South Africa 44/2 after 12 overs: Brilliant over by Deepti Sharma, varying her pace nicely. A stifled appeal for LBW against Luus but that was MUCH, MUCH CLOSER than the one in the previous over. Sweep missed, seemed to hit in line. DRS would have helped India here we reckon. So the decisions have evened out so far.

STAT ALERT:

Gayakwad comes on as India go to spin from both ends...

South Africa 37/2 after 10 overs (Luus 11, Goodall 9): Tidy first over by the Indian allrounder. Goodall and Luus bring out the sweep early. The SA captain misses hers though and LBW appeal is turned down. Good technique to play it outside off.

First sign of spin, Deepti Sharma to bowl the 10th over...

Ahem. She would have loved to bowl here with some movement on offer...

South Africa 35/2 after 9 overs: A brilliant effort from Jemimah Rodrigues at gully to dive to her right but a low catch is dropped. Would have been a stunner. A no ball in that over by Goswami but doesn’t do much damage.

South Africa 30/2 after 8 overs: Joshi strives to go a little fuller to try and extract more outswing but Luus is quick to pounce on that, another lovely cover drive from the SA captain for four.

South Africa 25/2 after 7 overs: Goswami beats the outside edge of Luus with a sensational delivery. Somehow missed the bat and stumps.

South Africa 23/2 after 6 overs: Top over from Joshi, that. SA now have a left-right combo in Goodall and Luus. If Joshi can get the ball back into Goodall, she will be in with a chance again.

Over 5.1, WICKET! WOLVAARDT GONE! Mansi Joshi kept getting the ball to shape away in her first two overs as we mentioned earlier, and in the third, she strikes with another outswinger. Another massive breakthrough for India, the stars of the chase on Sunday are back in the pavilion. No doubt about this decision. What a start for India. SA 20/2.

South Africa 20/1 after 5 overs: A boundary keeps coming every over for SA, this time Goswami strays on the pad of Wolvaardt.

South Africa 14/1 after 4 overs: More good outswing bowling from Joshi here, making the most of the new ball and the minimal movement it offers. But Luus plays a lovely cover drive after getting beaten, for her first boundary.

South Africa 10/1 after 3 overs: That’s another typically tight over by Goswami. An LBW appeal against Luus is turned down. That was definitely bouncing high.

Here’s the toss interview clip video.

South Africa 9/1 after 2 overs: Laura Wolvaardt and the picture-perfect cover drive makes an early appearance. Mansi Joshi bowled a perfectly decent length delivery but Wolvaardt don’t care. But good shape on the outswing from the Indian pacer in that over. Just that boundary.

Zenia D’Cunha: In the first match, Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt shared the highest-ever opening wicket stand against India in women’s ODIs In the second, Jhulan Goswami breaks the stand in the first over Remember, there is no DRS this series.

WICKET IN THE FIRST OVER! And Jhulan Goswami strikes the first over. Her signature stump-to-stump line. Lee would have liked to review this one could assume, close call on height as well as angle. But a crucial breakthrough for India. Lee had hit a four earlier when Goswami overcorrected for a wide down the leg side. But the veteran breaks through immediately. SA 5/1.

Huddle done. Jhulan Goswami will look to make use of any early assistance. The SA openers were fantastic on Sunday, an early wicket crucial here for India.

Pitch report: Snehal Pradhan and Amol Muzumdar reckon this is going to be a good batting track. There is some surprise that India (and SA if they had won the toss) opted to bowl first. A black soil pitch this one and the duo reckon 225-250 is a par score.

Confirmation of playing XIs:

India playing XI:  Mithali Raj (C), Harmanpreet Kaur (VC), Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Sushma Verma, Poonam Yadav, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jhulan Goswami, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Mansi Joshi  

South Africa playing XI: Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus(c), Lara Goodall, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Trisha Chetty(wk), Ayabonga Khaka, Shabnim Ismail, Nonkululeko Mlaba

08.51 am: One change for India, Mansi Joshi replacing Monica Patel who had made her debut in the opener.

08.45 am: South Africa are unchanged, awaiting team news from the Indian camp.

08.39 am: You can watch the first ODI highlights here and the post-match reaction here.

TOSS: India have won the toss today and will be bowling first.

08.31 am: On Monday, Harmanpreet Kaur turned 32. Which is just an excuse for us to relive an epic.

08.25 am: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the second ODI between India and South Africa where Mithali Raj and Co face a test of their mettle. It was not a good outing all around for India in the first ODI on Sunday and it resulted in their heaviest defeat in this format against South Africa (in terms of balls remaining or wickets remaining).

India evidently looked like side that had not played competitive cricket for a long time in the opener of the five-match series on Sunday. A better prepared, much improved South Africa, on the other hand, were clinical and will once again pose a tough challenge today, as well in the coming games.

Here’s a recap of the first match before we look forward to today’s action:

First ODI, as it happened: Bowlers, Lee, Wolvaardt star in eight-wicket win for visitors

First ODI: India’s big loss to South Africa was nothing but their search for a lost rhythm