(PTI Photo)
Ahead of the Women’s ODI World Cup next year, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur emphasized the significance of the ongoing series against South Africa. She highlighted the opportunity to familiarize themselves with various home venues and capitalize on favorable conditions.
India displayed dominance in the preceding ODI series with a clean sweep of 3-0 in Bengaluru. Now, the focus shifts to Chepauk, where a one-off Test match is set to commence on Friday, followed by three more T20Is at the same venue.
“It’s a great opportunity to get used to various home conditions,” Harmanpreet said in the pre-match media interaction.
“Even though we don’t have a lot of experience at home, this series will give us a lot of confidence — how the wickets behave and the combinations that we can use for the World Cup.”
The weather in Chennai has been cloudy with scattered rain expected across the city in the coming days.
Harmanpreet noted that the Chepauk pitch, known for its slow nature, bears similarities to the track in Mumbai where they played their last two Tests.
“It’s been raining for the last couple of days, but the wicket looks really good and we are hoping for it to start turning within one or two days,” Harmanpreet said.
“In the last two Tests in Mumbai, the wicket was behaving similarly. We don’t have much clarity about the wicket here. We discuss to go out there and see how the pitch is behaving.”
Harmanpreet expressed confidence that the team’s practice sessions over the last three days would pay off during the match.
“We don’t have much experience on Chennai wicket. But the practice session from the last couple of days has given us a fair idea and we will play accordingly,” she added.
“We have seen men’s Test matches here, but women’s cricket is completely different. Once we start playing as per the conditions, we will be gathering experience.”
India boasts a wealth of options in the bowling department, and Harmanpreet believes that players such as Arundhati Reddy, Smriti Mandhana, and herself can also contribute significantly.
“Arundhati is a great package and has done really well. We picked her based on her performance in the last couple of years. She can contribute a lot with the bat as well,” she said.
“If I get the opportunity (to bowl), definitely (I will bowl). Not only me, but Smriti is also bowling now, and if need be, we can use her as well.”
With just five Tests under her belt, the Indian captain credited head coach Amol Muzumdar for aiding her adjustment to the format.
“I don’t have much experience in Tests. But in the last two Tests, Amol sir helped me a lot, thanks to his Test-playing experience,” she said.
In December last year, India hosted one-off Tests against England and Australia consecutively, emerging victorious in both matches. Additionally, women’s red-ball cricket made a comeback to India’s domestic circuit after a four-year hiatus with the Senior Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy held in Pune in March, where East Zone clinched the title.
Harmanpreet said: “Our domestic cricket was featured very nicely last year. A lot of girls across age categories played those games, and the BCCI is doing a great job.
“They are trying their best to improve women’s cricket, and we really hope they keep up with it.”
“It’s a great opportunity for all of us. As a player, we always want to play red-ball cricket. And now that we are getting it, we are happy.
“The last two Tests we played (vs England and Australia) were really great. We are looking for a positive result in this Test as well. Hopefully, we will deliver,” she concluded.
