After falling just short at the final hurdle in the second T20I, left-handed batter Gargi Bhogle played a starring role for USA Women as the hosts prevailed over Zimbabwe in another match that went down to the wire. 

File photo credit: Peter Della Penna

By Peter Della Penna (Twitter/X @PeterDellaPenna)
 
After being on the losing end at the crease for USA’s last-ball defeat to Zimbabwe Women two days earlier, Gargi Bhogle played a big role in turning the tables for the home side on Tuesday by top-scoring with 34 off 27 balls in USA’s successful chase as they scraped over the line off the final ball to win by three wickets in the final T20I at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. USA was cruising home thanks to Bhogle’s knock before a late wobble made things interesting until Bhakti Shastri clipped a single off the last delivery to secure victory. 
 
USA took a methodical approach early on when going after Zimbabwe’s first innings total of 110 for 8 before a 47-run partnership between Bhogle and captain Aditi Chudasama for the fifth wicket put USA into a winning position. Disha Dhingra’s see-saw series continued when she scratched around for 4 off 14 balls before she was dismissed in the fourth over by left-arm spinner Kelis Ndhlovu as an attempted slog off a full ball produced a top-edge to backward point to make it 8 for 1. 
 
Chetna Reddy Pagydyala and Isani Vaghela started to get USA back on course with a 39-run stand for the second wicket before both fell in the last over before drinks. Pagydyala fell for 25 on the first ball of the 10^thwhen she drove a full delivery from offspinner Lindokuhle Mabhero straight to Nomvelo Sibanda at extra cover. Vaghela then fell three balls later for 17, skying a drive to cover on the ring to make it 48 for 3. Pooja Ganesh fell in the first over after drinks for 3, backing away from the stumps to try to guide Beloved Biza behind point only to be bowled making it 55 for 4 in 11. 
 
Bhogle then joined Chudasama and the pair mostly knocked around singles until a match-changing four-ball sequence that began at the end of the 17^th over. Bhogle was on strike with USA needing 28 off 21 balls to win when she pulled a half-tracker from Mabhero back over the bowler’s head to the long-on rope for 4. Mabhero overcorrected on the next ball and Bhogle drove a full ball back over the bowler again that barely cleared the long-on rope for six. A single to long-off to end the over kept Bhogle on strike to start the 18^th and the first ball from left-arm pacer Sibanda was sprayed down leg as Bhogle flicked enough bat on it to beat fine leg for another boundary as USA became overwhelming favorites needing 13 to win off 17 balls with six wickets in hand. 
 
However, Zimbabwe fought back in the field thanks to some questionable shot selection and poor running between the wickets. Needing nine to win off the final two overs, Chudasama ran herself out to start the 19^thwhen she tapped to point and ran on contact as a relay from Sibanda to bowler Ndhlovu over the non-striker’s stumps beat the USA captain by two yards to send her off for 19 at 102 for 5. 
 
Bhogle was dropped at wide long-on off the next ball trying to slog Ndhlovu and picked up two runs off the drop. On the third ball of the over, Bhogle cleared the front leg for another heave to Ndhlovu and picked out Mabhero at deep midwicket to make it 104 for 6. After Shastri took two off her first delivery, another runout happened in near identical circumstances as the one to begin the over as Shastri tapped to point and set off on contact only for Sibanda to charge in and relay to Chiedza Dhururu at the keeper’s end to deny Ritu Singh from the non-striker’s end, running her out before she had faced a ball to make it 106 for 7. 
 
With five needed off the final over bowled by Sibanda, Shastri hit the first ball into the off side for one. New batter Geetika Kodali came on strike to have a swing and miss at the next two balls outside off stump. Kodali then shuffled across her stumps to scuff a bottom edge swat into the leg side for a single to get off strike. 
 
With three off two needed, Shastri went across her stumps and countered a wide yorker by dragging the ball along the ground toward deep midwicket for what should have been a single but the relay to the bowler’s end drag Sibanda several yards away from the stumps and Kodali made her ground before Sibanda’s shovel into the stumps broke the bails as two runs were completed to level the scores, guaranteeing USA a shot at a Super Over if they couldn’t score off the final ball. USA would not need to go that far though as Shastri clipped another ball behind square leg for the winning run, scampering to the bowler’s end ahead of the throw from the fielder which sailed wide. Shastri finished 6 not out off 5 balls while Kodali ended 1 not out off 3 deliveries. 
 
Mabhero ended with Zimbabwe’s best figures on the day, taking 2 for 19 off four. Ndhlovu returned 2 for 23 after starting with new-ball left-arm spin. Biza took 1 for 22 in her four overs. Sibanda went wicketless with her four overs of pace that conceded 19 though she did contribute to both runouts in the field. Medium pacer Adelle Zimunu was Zimbabwe’s least economical bowler in a tight match, giving away 0 for 14 off two overs. 
 
USA’s win was set up by another tight bowling display led by Chetnaa Prasad, who came into the XI for Jivana Aras after USA won the toss and chose to field first. Zimbabwe began the match with a 63-run partnership and looked well on their way to sweeping the T20I leg of the tour before Prasad was brought on in the first over after drinks and struck off her third ball of the day. Prasad floated up a wider ball outside off to Modester Mupachikwa, who was unable to get to the pitch after being teased out of the crease resulting in a stumping for 18. Prasad produced a mirror wicket to left-handed captain Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano in the 13^th, coming down the track only to wave past a turning ball and be out stumped for 7. 
 
Chudasama claimed the prized scalp of Ndhlovu in the 13^th for 49 as the left-handed opener backed away from leg stump trying to flick into midwicket for a single but instead inside edged the ball behind to Ganesh to make it 76 for 3. Prasad completed her haul in the 15^th, getting Loreen Tshuma for 4 as a charge down the track produced a lofted drive taken by Dhingra 15 yards inside the rope at long-off to make it 82 for 4. 
 
Vaghela tied down the Zimbabwe middle and lower order at the death with her medium pace, taking three wickets across her final two overs. The sequence started with the catch of the series for USA as Vaghela got her hands down in time to intercept an ankle-high return drive for a sensational caught and bowled to dismiss Biza for 5 at 93 for 5 in the 18^th. Two balls later, Dhururu was bowled by a yorker for 7 to make it 94 for 6. 
 
Natasha Mtomba made 6 before she heaved across the line to a half-volley from Kodali and was bowled to make it 101 for 7 with eight balls left. Vaghela then claimed what turned out to be an extremely consequential dot ball and wicket off the final ball of the innings when Runyararo Pasipanodya sliced an attempted slog to backward point where Shastri pulled off a sliding catch for 4 to end the Zimbabwe innings. 
 
Prasad’s 3 for 16 off four overs turned the tide for USA after the drinks break while Vaghela took identical figures in her four overs. Chudasama took the new ball with her offspin and ended with 1 for 18 off four. Kodali returned 1 for 23 off three overs. Singh was USA’s least economical bowler on the day, sending down two overs for 17. Legspinner Saanvi Immadi ended wicketless with 0 for 20 off three. 
 
The teams return to action on Thursday in Texas when they begin the first of two ODIs to complete Zimbabwe’s tour.