India eves on Tuesday defeated South Africa by 11 runs in the first T20I of the five-match series, courtesy off-spinner Deepti Sharma, who took three wickets and bowled as many maiden overs.

Chasing a modest 131 for victory at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, South Africa were well in the match with a gritty 59 off 43 balls from Mignon du Preez, but Deepti’s three maidens strangled the visitors as they were bowled out for 119 in 19.5 overs to hand India 1-0 lead in the series. Player of the match Deepti ended with career-best figures of 3 for 8 from 4 overs.

Du Preez hit four fours and three sixes in her knock before being dismissed by medium-pacer Shikha Pandey in the fourth delivery of the final over with the Proteas still 11 runs short of India’s total. In the next delivery, Shikha got rid of N Mlaba (0) to seal India victory.

The day though belonged to Deepti, who first castled opener Tazmin Brits (3) and then had Nadine de Klerk caught behind by Taniya Bhatia in the same over. Shabnim Ismail, also caught behind, was Deepti’s third victim. Besides Deepti, Shikha (2 for 18), Poonam Yadav (2 for 25) and Radha Yadav (2 for 29) helped sink the Proteas ship.

Put in to bat by South Africa skipper Sune Luus, India scored 130 for 8 in their stipulated quota of 20 overs, riding captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s 34-ball 43, which was laced with three fours and two sixes.

Opener Smriti Mandhana scored 21, but the other batters did not have much joy as pacer Shabnim Ismail returned best figures of 3 for 26, supported by 19-year-old part-time medium-pacer de Klerk, who took two wickets and gave away just 10 runs in two overs.

Shafali Verma, the 15-year-old attacking batter from Haryana, was handed a debut as she became the second-youngest player to represent India after Gargi Banerjee, and the youngest to play a T20I for the country.

But her stay in the middle was cut short by Ismail for a fourth ball duck, caught by Tumi Sekhukhune at mid-on.

Fellow opener Mandhana looked good for her 16-ball 21 before Nondumiso Shangase had her caught by du Preez at point on a loose delivery. In a bid to boost the run rate, Jemimah Rodrigues (19) and Deepti (16) too lost their wickets, but it was Harmanpreet who took the hosts to a fighting total as wickets kept tumbling at the other end.

The two teams meet next for the second T20I at the same venue on Thursday.

Brief scores: India 130 for 8 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 43; Shabnim Ismail 3 for 26) defeated South Africa 119 all out in 19.5 overs (Mignon du Preez 59, Deepti Sharma 3 for 8) by 11 runs.

(With inputs from IANS)