India Women vs South Africa Women One-Off Test: List Of India Debutants, When & Where To Watch Historic IND-W vs SA-W Match

Chennai, Jun 27: The spotlight will be on emerging talent, particularly the debutantes when the Indian women's cricket team takes on South Africa in a one-off Test starting on Friday (June 27). This encounter marks the first time in a decade that the two teams will face off in a five-day game.

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

Following a 3-0 clean sweep in the preceding ODI series against the same opponents, the Indian team carries considerable momentum, although the shift to Test cricket presents a different challenge.

India Cricketers Set To Debut vs South Africa Women

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.

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

"It's not a bad idea to have a (Women's) Test Championship, something we can look forward to. But that is for the Board (BCCI and ICC) to decide. If it happens, it's indeed better for the game," he stated.

Who Are The Most Experienced India Cricketers?

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.

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 the West Indies in 1976. Coach Muzumdar is confident that his team understands the conditions 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, Suné 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 - 1 (HD & SD)

Live Streaming: JioCinema