Surat: Spinner Deepti Sharma bowled three maiden overs in her four-over quota, apart from taking three wickets, as the Indian women team survived a Mignon du Preez blitz to eke out a 11-run win over South African in the first T20 International here on Tuesday. Asked to bat, the Indian middle-order struggled to convert starts on a slow pitch, settling for a modest 130 for eight. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored for the side with a 34-ball 43, the innings containing three fours and two sixes as her other colleagues found the going tough.

The Indian spinners exploited the favourable conditions to make it tough for the visitors, who were bowled out for 119 with one ball left. Apart from Deepti (3/8), left-arm spinner Radha Yadav, leg-break bowler Poonam Yadav and pacer Shikha Pandey took two wickets apiece. Du Preez took the fight to the Indian camp with her gritty 59-run knock but could not take her side past the finish line. South Africa were reeling at 65 for six at one stage but Du Preez infused life into their chase with her attacking knock, which came off 43 balls with four shots to the fence and three over it. She added 32 runs with Ayabonga Khaka, causing some anxiety to the home team.