Proteas Women captain Laura Wolvaardt believes her team has done the necessary work in preparation for the start of their tour against India. The tour begins with the first ICC Women’s Championship (2022-25) one-day international (ODI) on Sunday in Bengaluru.
The match will start at 13:30 local time (10:00 SAST) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Grandstand (Ch. 201).
Ahead of the highly anticipated clash, Wolvaardt shared insights into the team’s mindset as they head into the tour in the subcontinent.
“We're confident. We've done a lot of preparation and a lot of hard work coming into this. So that's sort of what we need to back. We need to back the work that we've done and hope that it's enough. It's no secret that India is a really good side at the moment but I do believe that we have a very talented side as well.
“Hopefully, we're able to find that consistency within the series,” the skipper added.
South Africa enters the opening 50-over match third on the ICC Women’s Championship table with 23 points from 18 matches, as part of the qualification journey towards next year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in India.
Historically, the Proteas Women have won 12 ODIs against India, who have 15 victories in the 28 encounters, with one match ending in a No Result. The last time the two nations met in the One-Day format, South Africa secured a dramatic three-wicket win on the last ball during the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand in 2022.
In that match, Wolvaardt top-scored for the Proteas with an 80 off 79 balls (11 fours), alongside former captain Mignon du Preez’s unbeaten 52 off 63 deliveries (2 fours). Wolvaardt hopes to continue her fine form against India, following a successful conclusion to the 2023/24 season where she scored back-to-back hundreds against Sri Lanka on home soil. She is focused on sticking to her processes and rebuilding her game after a short off-season.
“I had a bit of a break. I was kind of upset when the season ended after that because I wanted to keep going after having finally found some form. But it's totally different conditions. Those were all back in South Africa. (The aim is) just to completely start again having had a bit of time at home as well just to reset.
“I'm excited for the game,” the opening batter said.
Commenting on the favourable batting conditions at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Wolvaardt expressed her excitement about the prospects of a high-scoring match.
“In the WPL (Women’s Premier League) a lot of the games here were quite high-scoring. Our batters will definitely be licking their lips to get onto that surface tomorrow. It's just about being nice and positive, and playing a brave, aggressive brand of cricket.
“Either way, no matter which way the toss goes, we've seen in the WPL that the Indian girls are playing a very positive brand of cricket. So we're going to have to try and match that,” she concluded.
Audio and video from the pre-match press conference featuring Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt may be downloaded here.
Proteas Women ODI and test Squad - Outbound Tour to India (16 June - 09 July)
Laura Wolvaardt (Captain) (Fidelity Titans), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World LIons), Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province), **Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), **Mieke de Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions) (ODI Squad Only), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), *Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions), *Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Delmi Tucker (World Sports Betting Western Province)
* Uncapped test player | **Uncapped test and ODI player
Fixtures - Proteas Women’s Outbound Tour to India (16 June - 09 July)
ICC Women’s Championship one-day international Series:
Sunday, 16 June @ 10h00 - 1st IWC ODI: India v South Africa (M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru)
Wednesday, 19 June @ 10h00 - 2nd IWC ODI: India v South Africa (M Chinnaswamy Stadium,
Bengaluru)
Sunday, 23 June @ 10h00 - 3rd IWC ODI: India v South Africa (M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru)
One-off test:
Friday, 28 June - Monday, 01 July @ 06h00: India v South Africa (M A Chidambaram Stadium,
Chennai)
T20 International Series:
Friday, 05 July @ 15h30 - 1st T20I: India v South Africa (M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai)
Sunday, 07 July @ 15h30 - 2nd T20I: India v South Africa (M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai)
Tuesday, 09 July @ 15h30 - 3rd T20I: India v South Africa (M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai)