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South Africa begin their first test in the subcontinent region ahead of the all-important 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. They have come close to World Cup glory on a couple of occasions, but they have always fallen short. They now have a chance of going for the entire prize, and the quest for that begins now.
They come on Lankan shores for a tri-series, which got underway this Sunday as India left no page unturned, ensuring they got off to a clinical start. This happens to be the curtain raiser for South Africa, who, much like their opponents for this game, will be looking to get off the mark in some style and ensure they make a strong case for themselves to get into the finals.
But the prospect of facing India first up is a huge challenge for the South Africans. Last year, these two sides squared off in a three-match ODI series, and it was fair to say the Proteas were up against a single player as much as an entire team. Smriti Mandhana showed off her knowledge about the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru like the back of her hand and blew them out of the water, helping the hosts seal a comprehensive 3-0 series win.
Since that series though, things have changed. Teams are gearing up to show they mean business, and with South Africa going from strength to strength themselves, this is their chance to show that they have what it takes to add that elusive World Cup to their kitty.
Having already played a game here, India will be aware of what the pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium has to offer. They fielded a three-pronged spin attack, which was enough to tie the hosts down in a truncated game. From there on, it was about flexing their batting prowess as the top three of Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, and Harleen Deol made mincemeat of the chase.
India's bowling attack saw them use five out and out bowlers while employing Pratika Rawal's spin. While the move did pay dividends, it could also backfire against the batting lineup the Proteas possess. Kashvee Gautam and Arundhati Reddy will once again be in charge of the new ball, and while Kashvee put her bowling range and variations on display, she couldn't get her first international wicket. She will hope that this game gives her a good chance of ensuring she opens her account with the ball.
With the bat, Pratika continues to break records time and again, with the opener fresh of a half-century in the opening game. However, the middle-order could be a soft underbelly that could be exposed when least expected. Harmanpreet Kaur and the batters that follow her will have to be up to the task whenever called upon.
South Africa last played an ODI late last year, where they were outclassed by England. They haven't played much cricket, with their big names playing for one of the five WPL sides in February and March.
The batting unit sorts itself out, with Laura Wolvaardt and Lara Goodall to open the batting. The likes of Sune Luus, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, and Chloe Tryon will be expected to take stock of the situation should the top order wither away early in conditions like these. The batters are coming after a long-ish layoff and will be looking to get rid of all the rust to ensure they get the job done in one of the three departments of the game. They will be without the services of Marizanne Kapp, with the others in the lineup expected to fill in for her.
Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, and Nonkululeko Mlaba will be the troika of bowlers South Africa will be heading into the competition with. The three of them will be partnered by Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon, who could be required to bowl slightly longer spells than usual in tracks that will aid the slower bowlers.
An interesting clash awaits us, with this match-up being just the stepping stone to what could well be the final come May 11. India will be keen to make it two in two and put pressure on the other two teams while South Africa will be determined to fire an early winning shot of their own. Expect some riveting action to headline this contest on Tuesday! India Probable XI: Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Arundhati Reddy, Sneh Rana, N Shree Charani South Africa Probable XI: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Lara Goodall, Anneke Bosch, Annerie Dercksen, Sune Luus, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka
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R.Premadasa Stadium, Khettarama, Colombo
