India And South Africa Women's Teams Clash In Historic One-Off Test Match

The Indian women's cricket team is set to face South Africa in a one-off Test starting on Friday, June 27. This match marks the first time in ten years that these teams will compete in a five-day game.

Despite the focus on white-ball cricket, head coach Amol Muzumdar has highlighted the significance of red-ball cricket. He hinted at the potential for more Test matches in the future and suggested that a Women's Test Championship could add substantial value to the format.

The debutantes to watch include Uma Chetry, Priya Punia, Saika Ishaque, Arundhati Reddy, and Shabnam Shakil. India's last red-ball match was in December 2023, marking their first Test in two years, where they achieved back-to-back home victories against England and Australia. The last Test between India and South Africa was in 2014 in Mysore, where India triumphed by an innings and 34 runs.

With Test cricket being rare for women, up to five players from the Indian squad could make their debut in this format. These players have already made a name for themselves in limited-overs cricket.

Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the side with five Tests under her belt, while vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is the most experienced player in the squad with six Tests. Both Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues were in excellent form against England and Australia and will look to continue their performance against South Africa. Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma, the team's second and third-highest run-scorers respectively in the format, are also expected to contribute significantly.

In the bowling department, Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar were formidable against England and Australia. Sneh Rana's off-breaks could pose a significant threat to the Proteas on the spin-friendly Chennai track.

Following a 3-0 clean sweep in the preceding ODI series against South Africa, India carries considerable momentum into this Test match. However, transitioning to Test cricket presents a different challenge altogether.

South Africa's Preparation And Key Players

South Africa has played only one Test in the past two years, losing to Australia in Perth this February. They also have five potential debutantes. Led by Laura Wolvaardt, the team will rely on all-rounders Sune Luus, Delmi Tucker, and Tazmin Brits. Bowlers Masabata Klaas and Anneke Bosch are their leading wicket-takers, while spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba could prove challenging on the Chennai surface.

Chepauk has hosted only one women's Test to date—a draw against West Indies in 1976. Coach Muzumdar is confident that his team understands these conditions well and will perform accordingly.

India Women vs South Africa Women Squad

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Jemimah Rodrigues, Priya Punia, Shafali Verma, Shubha Satheesh, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetri (wk), Sneh Rana, Saika Ishaque, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur Singh.

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Eliz-Mari Marz , Nonkululeko Mlaba , Tumi Sekhukune , Nondumiso Shangase , Delmi Tucker .

India Women vs South Africa Women One-Off Test: Where To Watch?

Match starts: 9.30 AM IST

TV Channels: Sports18 , Sports18 Khel

Live Streaming: JioCinema

This encounter promises an exciting contest as both teams bring fresh talent into play after long gaps from red-ball cricket.