The third T20 international between India eves and South Africa at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium in Surat was called off without a ball being bowled due to wet outfield on Sunday.
This is the second consecutive game of the five-match series being played in the city to have been called off due to complications arising out of unseasonal rain.
Notably, the city had received rainfall in the morning because of which the field could not be dried off in time for the match, which was scheduled to start at 7 pm.
However, India are 1-0 up in the series after winning the opening match of the series.
Talking about the first match, chasing a modest 131 for victory in the first T20I, 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 the lead in the series. Player of the match Deepti ended with career-best figures of 3 for 8 from 4 overs.
After captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s 43 off 34 in the first innings, the day thoroughly 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.
The fourth match will be played on Tuesday. The T20 series will be followed by a three-match ODI rubber in Vadodara.
(With inputs from IANS)