IND-W vs SA-W: India banks on spin talent as women’s Test cricket returns to Chennai after 47 years

India Women will draw great confidence from the spin talent pool at hand. Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Sneh Rana – all Test regulars – will hope to be in the mix.

Head coach of India Women’s cricket team Amol Muzumdar discusses the pitch with vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and batter Jemimah Rodrigues ahead of the Test match against South Africa at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk in Chennai on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam/The Hindu

17,399 days. 47 years, seven months, and 20 days. That’s how long it has been since the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai – a venue renowned for housing several memorable chapters of red-ball excellence within its expanses – hosted a women’s international multi-day fixture.

Come Friday, India Women will get a chance to prove its formidable record at home when it takes on South Africa in a one-off Test in the coastal city.

Action moves to Chennai from Bengaluru, where an eventful ODI series saw India complete a 3-0 clean sweep. While the Proteas went down tamely by 143 runs in the first game, the visitor gave India a run for its money in the second, falling short of India’s mammoth 325 by just four runs.

In the the third fixture, however, the South African batting order managed only 215 runs against an on-song Indian batting line-up in a chase-conducive ground like the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

However, that second game showed that Laura Wolvaardt and Co. are quick learners. They could pick up lessons from the first ODI, steady up the top order – with much of the heavy lifting done by skipper Wolvaardt and warhorse Marizanne Kapp – and keep India’s bowling arsenal quiet. The focus during this Test match will also be on these two experienced players to anchor the visitor’s brittle fortunes with the willow.

Wolvaardt took to the nets in two sessions two days ahead of the match, her first stint fully focussed on a mix of spin and pace while the second was just throwdowns to find her rhythm.

Kapp spent 45-odd minutes in the nets, middling everything the under-14 and under-16 Tamil Nadu State cricketers were throwing at her, the sound reverberating through the net facility. The ace all-rounder even swapped her low pony for her quintessential top knot as she rolled her arm sparingly.

Sune Luus (R) will be key to South Africa’s fortunes alongside left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (not in picture) | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam/The Hindu

Former South Africa captain Sune Luus, who has only recently returned to bowling solid spells, spent plenty of time working on her variations. Her leg-spin will be crucial to South Africa’s chances on a wicket that will have the tweakers licking their lips.

The match is set to be played on the third strip. There will be a longer boundary on one side. The surface seems dry and is poised to experience wear and tear. There isn’t a hint of green two days ahead of the fixture.

The Indian leadership core – coach Amol Muzumdar, captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana – spent a considerable amount of time studying the surface. The trio will draw great confidence from the spin talent pool at hand. Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Sneh Rana – all Test regulars – will hope to be in the mix. 

India’s pace department has been bolstered by the addition of Arundhati Reddy, whose skills with the bat were evidenced by her resilient 122-ball 57 for South Zone (albeit in vain) in the final of the Senior Women’s Interzonal Multi-Day Trophy final against Deepti’s East Zone earlier in the summer.

Her efforts in the nets were directed at finding rhythm and grinding out the bowlers, rather than trying anything too flashy.

Arundhati, with her variations, pace, and ability to consistently bowl stump-to-stump will make her an asset to this Test side and could give Renuka Thakur some rest ahead of the T20I series, to be held next week.

For India, much will rest on the shoulders of Mandhana, who has been in imperious form with two centuries and a 90 under her belt from the ODI leg of the series.

Smriti Mandhana gets physio attention during the practice ahead of the lone Test match between South Africa and India women’s cricket at M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk in Chennai on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu

The southpaw began by facing Sneh’s off-spin. Later, a bowler from the local age-group pool beat her with pace, with the ball rising and zipping past her. Sneh, too, took on the pacers from TN’s under-16 team, with one of them, a tall right-arm quick, hitting her on the glove with his pace. While there’s no cause for alarm, the bowler was quickly rotated so that India’s Test staples didn’t have injury headaches leading into the game.

Towards the end of the India nets, Richa Ghosh got some time for wicketkeeping drills, focusing on collections and reflexes close to the stumps.

A few feet away from her, Renuka, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Pooja Vastrakar – who all have nursed niggles in the recent past - were given dedicated cool-down drills and stretching exercises focusing on the knees and lower joints. 

It was an overcast day in Chennai, with the city experiencing similar conditions, with scattered showers for most of the fortnight.

There is a rain prediction for Saturday - day two of the Test - barring which Chennai’s humid and overcast weather will persist.

The South Africans were amused when told that this is cool for the city but will also have the challenge of the elements to prepare for as they take on a home-track Test bully.