India Women bungled in the final once again. After messing up despite being in a good position in the Commonwealth Games final against Australia last year, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side lost to South Africa Women on this occasion in the tri-series decider in East London on Thursday.

India elected to bat first at Buffalo Park but managed just 109/4. The South Africans, in reply, rode No.5 batter Chloe Tryon’s unbeaten 57 off 32 balls to win the game by five wickets with two overs to spare.

The result would certainly surprise most as India broke little sweat to win their games in the league phase, where they finished at the top. What’s even more surprising is how none of their batters, including opener Smriti Mandhana (0) and captain Harmanpreet (21 off 22 balls), could take the attack to the South African bowlers.

No.3 Harleen Deol top-scored with 46 but took as many as 56 balls to get those runs.

For the South Africans, pacer Shabnim Ismail bowled as many as two maiden overs, conceding only nine off her three overs, while Nonkululeko Mlaba took 2/16.

The bowlers, thereafter, did try and keep India in the game as they had reduced the opposition to 21/3 in 6.3 overs. But they simply had no answer to Tryon’s counterattack, as she smashed six fours and two maximums to take her side home comfortably.

Such a performance from the batters in particular doesn’t bode well at all for India going into the T20 World Cup, which begins next Friday.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to bat the way we wanted to although the bowlers did well. We have got some good performances from this tournament,” skipper Harmanpreet said at the postmatch presentation.

(Clockwise from top) Bengal’s Titas Sadhu and (right) Hrishita Basu at Calcutta airport; Gongadi Trisha on arrival at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad; and Mannat Kashyap being welcomed at home in Patiala. All members of the maiden U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup-winning team reached home on Thursday. Telegraph picture and PTI