Indian gamers had lots to have fun.
| Photograph Credit score: Particular Association
An hour earlier than pushback, China did India an enormous favour by beating England 4-2. India seized the opening in Pool-D, by hammering South Africa, the lowest-ranked facet within the World Cup, 6-1 to go high of the desk on Tuesday.
It was a historic scoreline right here on the Wagener Stadion for the Indian girls as they registered their greatest World Cup win, thanks to 6 completely different goal-scorers. The outcome additionally propelled their objective distinction to (+5). Sjoerd Marijne’s facet now wants solely a attract its ultimate pool recreation in opposition to England to make sure a spot within the second spherical.
India, nevertheless, made a sloppy begin, with misplaced passes and mistraps, and was let off by South Africa on the turnovers.
Towards the run of play, India opened the scoring, via Sunelita Toppo. The midfielder, who had a shot saved earlier, poked residence Sakshi Rana’s cross after a failed try to clear it contained in the circle.
India’s nerves appeared to settle with that objective because it discovered higher rhythm with its passing and penetration. Within the second quarter, as quickly as India obtained its second penalty nook (PC), Navneet Kaur, who let Deepika have a crack for the primary, signalled that it was her flip, and made it depend.
Taking a contact away from the primary rusher, she hammered her drag-flick onto the boards.
India’s front-foot strategy yielded three extra quick corners in succession with defender Sushila Chanu getting her first objective since 2023 from a rebound.
Within the third quarter, the Indians placed on a clinic in ending with three tomahawk efforts within the area of seven minutes. Deepika discovered the underside nook earlier than Lalremsiami, who was conferred the Arjuna Award earlier within the day, slotted in from a good angle on the fitting facet.
Sakshi, the youngest participant within the squad at 18, capped off a superb recreation by firing into the roof of the web. South Africa completed the sport higher, managing to get on the scoresheet from a well-worked PC with Kayla de Waal deflecting the ball in.
Needing a victory to progress, the Indian males’s workforce will likely be in motion on Wednesday in opposition to Pakistan.
The outcome: India 6 (Sunelita 10, Navneet 16-pc, Sushila 24-pc, Deepika 37, Lalremsiami 43, Sakshi 44) bt South Africa 1 (de Waal 54-pc).
Printed – August 18, 2026 09:45 pm IST
