Proteas Women geared up for India cauldron

“IND-YAAA, IND-YAAA!”

This is the chant that will reverberate around Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VCDA Cricket Stadium whenever Smriti Mandhana elegantly strokes the ball through the covers.

Drums will beat, trumpets and whistles blown, flags waved, and grown men fully painted in the tri-colours will create a cacophony of noise that the Proteas Women have yet to encounter.

Facing India, in a World Cup, at home, is simply a different beast to any other challenge, but one the Proteas are looking to embrace.

“It’s always a challenge, but I think it's also nice,” Proteas allrounder Nadine de Klerk said on the eve of this mouth-watering World Cup clash.

“I think we were here last year, and it was also quite a big crowd. So, I think it's a nice thing about women's cricket in India. It's great to see all the support.

“And yeah, I guess it's a bit different than what we're used to, but I think it's a really exciting challenge and obviously a massive clash as well.”

India’s partisan fans have in the past shown they can also be a liability though, especially when the opposition start on the front foot as they either lose their voice or turn against their own team.

De Klerk stressed the importance of the Proteas hitting the right notes from the outset.

“It’s been a big topic over the last couple of months, to be honest. I think that's the only way you put teams on the back foot, really, is by taking wickets. So, I think whether we bat or bowl first, I think it's kind of the opposite,” she said.

“When you bowl first, you want to strike early. You want to put teams on the back foot. And when you bat first, you want to kind of combat that.

“So you don't want to lose two or three wickets in the Powerplay, so I think that’s obviously going to be key.”

It’s an open secret that both teams rely heavily on their opening batters to set the tone. 

In the green corner, the Proteas possess the prolific Tazmin Brits, who became the first woman batter to score five centuries in a calendar year in the last game against New Zealand, and skipper Laura Wolvaardt. 

And in the blue corner, India boasts the World’s No 1 ranked batter Mandhana and Pratika Rawal. Mandhana, in particular, has been a thorn in the side of the Proteas for a period of time, especially last year when she stroked 343 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 114.33 across three matches.

“Yeah, a quality player. She’s done well against us in the past. But I think, again, with conditions being a bit on the slower side, I think we're going to really back ourselves to either keep her quiet or get her early and try and put her under pressure. But, yeah, like I said, they have eight or nine really good batters,” De Klerk said.

“So, I think the focus is not too much just on one person. But, yeah, I think we're all pretty clear on where we want to get her out, how we want to go about our business. 

“Again, try and break that opening stand that's been so successful for them over the last couple of months and really try and get that middle order in as early as possible.”

FULL SQUADS

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Tazmin Brits, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase. Reserve: Miané Smit

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud

Start: 11:30am TV: SuperSport