Cricket Returns to Chennai: India Primed for Spin-Friendly Test against South Africa
It’s been a while since women’s cricket graced the Chennai pitch, but the action is finally set to return. Both India and South Africa are unfamiliar with the conditions, with India last playing here in 2007 and South Africa’s sole appearance dating back to the 2016 T20 World Cup.
However, the home team holds a distinct advantage heading into this Test match. India are riding high after comprehensive victories over powerhouses England and Australia in December, with their spinners proving instrumental to those triumphs. The expectation is that the Chepauk surface will once again favor the slow bowlers, playing right into India’s hands.
India’s resources have only grown stronger in recent months. They have handed call-ups to several new players and have had four individuals train exclusively for the red-ball format at the National Cricket Academy, bolstering their depth in both batting and bowling. All-rounders Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma were match-winners in the December Tests, with the team amassing 400-plus totals in the first innings of both matches. Most of the squad also participated in the Senior Women’s Inter-zonal multi-day series in March-April, further honing their skills.
Confidence will also be high for India after their ODI series triumph against South Africa. Stalwart Smriti Mandhana showcased superb form, while Deepti and Arundhati Reddy shone with the ball.
In contrast, South Africa will be playing only their second Test of the year, having suffered an innings defeat against Australia in February. They also lack quality preparation for the red-ball format, as it is not a part of their domestic structure. South Africa did have lengthy net sessions against Tamil Nadu’s junior boys’ teams, facing more spin than pace, but the challenge of adapting to the “low-bouncing, turning” Chepauk pitch remains.
“This is the biggest challenge for us,” acknowledged Captain Laura Wolvaardt, who has been in scintillating form in recent times. South Africa do have a left-arm spin option in Nonkululeko Mlaba, while Marizanne Kapp stated that offspinner Sune Luus will also feature in the bowling attack.
All things considered, the scales seem to be tipped in India’s favor as they prepare to take the field in the only Test match of the series.
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