IND-W vs SA-W, One-off Test: Pitch battle looms as spin takes centre stage in Chennai

In a city of happy hosts who go to any extent to make their visitors comfortable, India has potentially thrown the biggest curve ball possible to South Africa even before a ball has been bowled in the one-off Test between the nations starting here on Friday. 

The red soil surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which for large part of matchday eve looked like a dust bowl, will pose the hardest challenge to the Proteas with its spin potency in the red-ball fixture. 

This isn’t limited to the side’s wobbly manoeuvring of spinners but also about its deficient spin resources in the Test squad. While India boasts of some of the best spinners in the format – think Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Sneh Rana, all primary bowlers – in its ranks, the Proteas are scratching the end of the barrel looking for more spin resources. There’s the versatile left-arm spin option in Nonkululeko Mlaba and a bunch of off spinners in Nondumiso Shangase, Delmi Tucker and Anneke Bosch. The most interesting turn for the spin contingent has to be Sune Luus’ surprising switch from leg-spin to off-spin. 

Lack of spin depth hurting SA?

“Leg-spin is a very difficult art. When you lose that feeling and it doesn’t come out that right, it can be a very tough place to be in as a leg spinner,” SA skipper Laura Wolvaardt explained ahead of the fixture. 

“With her being a spinner her whole life, she’d always chuck an offie or two in training and they were pretty decent. I don’t know if she decided it or she spoke to the coaches about it and worked on it a bit. It actually helped us out in the last game when we needed a few extra overs of spin in one of the ODIs. It’s pretty new, her off spin journey but if she comes working on it, it would be pretty cool to have that option from someone in the top four,” she added. 

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Wolvaardt will take everything she gets as she and her side look to tame a high-on-confidence India which has enjoyed tremendous success at home in the format. India is playing its third Test in seven months, with a 347-run win over England in Navi Mumbai and an eight-wicket triumph over Australia in Mumbai. 

Both teams held optional training on the day before the match. Marizanne Kapp was missing in action in the nets as the others took on sessions of spin from their teammates and the age-group cricketers made available by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. Wolvaardt struggled against spin and has her task cut out for her on Friday should the Proteas find themselves batting first. 

Kapp (who scored a 150 against England in 2022) and Luus will have to shoulder batting responsibilities with their skipper if SA wants to take the fight to the Indians. The absence of someone like Chloe Tryon (5 and 64, two wickets) will particularly pinch the visitor. 

Kapp’s presence poses a problem of its own. Wolvaardt all but confirmed that Kapp is unlikely to bowl on day one, with her workload being closely monitored to preserve her for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year. With pace mainstay Ayabonga Khaka staying away from red-ball cricket, the onus is on Nadine de Klerk and Masabata Klaas to chip in even on an unfavourable surface. 

India’s problem of plenty? 

The home team finds itself in a rare circumstance of having more controllables than otherwise. The core of the team is set with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma leading the batting lineup, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma lending the middle order enough muscle. Shubha Satheesh, who is also a medium pace option, is expected to retake her place in the side after missing out on Test action since she sustained a fracture to the finger on day two of the England Test. 

India’s spin contingent should give the Proteas sleepless nights. Off spinner Sneh Rana, who should be a sure starter in this format for her allround brilliance and ability to weather through session after session patiently, will pair with Deepti potentially even for new ball duties depending on how the surface plays early on. Rajeshwari Gayakwad is another experienced tweaker who knows how to break partnerships with ease. Harmanpreet herself is a wicket-taking spinner, often bringing herself on when stands are building. Incidentally, she has the best figures by an Indian in women’s Tests vs South Africa, registering a match haul of 9/85 as India triumphed by an innings and 34 runs in Mysore. While Harmanpreet prefers not to bring herself on with the ball, she didn’t rule out the possibility. 

“”If I get the opportunity, definitely yes then. Not only me, nowadays, Smriti [Mandhana] is also bowling. She is also an option if need be. I hope we don’t need her, but there’s that option as well. As players, all of us just want to deliver for the team, be it with the bat or ball,” she quipped.

Pace bowling allrounder Arundhati Reddy could fancy landing her maiden Test cap if India wants to rest one of its mainstream seamers in Pooja Vastrakar and Renuka Singh Thakur. Renuka was out of action for two of the three ODIs due to a niggle, while Pooja’s injury history will make the think tank want to wrap her in cotton wool much like SA is doing with Kapp. 

Coach Amol Muzumdar stuck to his mantra of continuously developing batting, bowling, fielding and fitness. Chennai’s humidity will test all four facets over the course of the weekend.

While the wicket looked bone dry on Wednesday, the groundsmen periodically watered the surface to give it better hold, potentially to counter any early disintegration or cracks. It will take resilience to shake the Indian Test juggernaut, but should South Africa find a way to test India’s patience, this could make for a spicy encounter in the coastal city.