Poonam Yadav claimed a miserly 3-13 to help India to a series-clinching 51-run win over the Proteas Women in the fourth T20 International in Surat on Tuesday.
In a match reduced to 17 overs per side on account of the weather, the leg-spinner was in supreme form as the hosts restricted the visitors to a poor 89-7 chasing a target of 141 at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium.
It was only the second completed game of the five-match series, and with the home side having won the only other contest, it means they now take an unassailable 2-0 lead into the final showdown on Friday.
They were full value for their latest win, too, piling on 140-4 after losing the toss and being asked to bat first by Sune Luus, the start having been delayed by a wet outfield.
Shafali Verma (46 off 33 balls) and Jemimah Rodrigues (33 off 22 balls) were the top-two run-scorers for the Indians, helping their side score at an impressive 8.23 runs to the over.
Nadine de Klerk was the pick of the bowlers with 2-24. The South Africans made a decent start to their reply by reaching 49-1 and then 65-2 in the 11th over thanks to Laura Wolvaardt (23 off 24 balls) and Tazmin Brits (20 off 23 balls).
But they then imploded as Player-of-the-Match Yadav ran riot. She was well supported by Radha Yadav (2-16) with the visitors eventually losing their last five wickets for 25 runs, surrendering the series in the process.
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