Captain Laura Wolvaardt is confident ahead of the Proteas Women’s one-off Test match against India, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, from 28 June to 1 July, 2024.
The much-loved format is a rare but cherished event in the realm of the women’s cricket where patience, skill, and endurance are set to be tested over four-days of intense competition.
South Africa is playing in their second Test Match in space of two years. They lost to Australia earlier this year but Wolvaardt is happy the team is getting opportunities to play test cricket, speaking to the media ahead of the match.
“Getting to play more Test cricket is awesome, and something the girls are really looking forward too.”
Proteas Women Captain, Laura Wolvaardt
“Having three scheduled in a calendar year is cool and something I have wanted to see for a long time,” said Wolvaardt. “This test will be a huge challenge for us, buy hopefully we can adapt to the conditions really well.”
While India will enjoy home ground advantage and an environment they thrive in, where spin plays an important role in all formats of their game, Wolvaardt is confident that once they have a look at the pitch, they would be able to ascertain what would work for the Proteas.
Having faced a lot of spin in the nets Laura feels that spin will be their biggest challenge.
“India is a force to be reckoned with at home, and we will have a long hard think of what would be the best way forward. We have been in the nets yesterday, it was staying low, and turning quite a bit.”
South Africa women’s domestic set up does not currently provide for the longer format of the game, so the switch from ODI’s to the Test format is challenging.
“Coming into a multi-day format game, is a bit of challenge for us, as we do not play the long format back at home. My cover-drive is my signature shot and going into the long format, at times I need just leave the ball as it comes on instinct, and I need to fight the way I’ve been batting my entire career,” said Wolvaardt.
“We need to play a lot more Tests, and incorporate it into our domestic set-up, or just leave it, because to play it once in three years, is very difficult.”
As women’s cricket continues to grow in popularity and visibility, the future of Test cricket remains a topic of discussion. The challenges lie in balancing tradition with innovation, ensuring the Test cricket remains relevant and compelling in a fast-paced sporting world.
South Africa host England later this year with a home Test scheduled as part of the multi-format home series.
“We would love to play well, and have it be an exciting game of cricket to watch. Do we start with more domestic cricket in prep to make the Tests more exciting, or do we start with international cricket and go from there? But yeah, we would love to take that momentum into the Test match at home later this year, “said Wolvaardt.
As women’s Test cricket continues to evolve, one thing remains certain, the passion and skill of women’s cricketers will continue to shine brightly, inspiring generations to come.
The Test Match will be broadcast live on SuperSport starting at 06h00 (SAST) from Friday 28 June to Monday, 1 July.
Photo Caption: Captain Laura Wolvaardt is confident ahead of the Proteas Women’s one-off Test match against India, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, from 28 June to 1 July, 2024. Photo: Cricket South Africa
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