India's women's cricket team faces South Africa in a one-off Test match, marking a decade since their last encounter. With five debutantes, India's young talent is expected. Key players who clinched the 3-0 ODI momentum against South Africa will include, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Deepti Sharma.
India will prepare for their Test debut with players like Uma Chetry, Priya Punia, Saika Ishaque, Arundhati Reddy, and Shabnam Shakil. The last red-ball match was in December 2023. India has played back-to-back home Tests against England and Australia, winning against South Africa in 2014. Indan women's head coach Amol Muzumdar has hinted at increased red-ball cricket in the future, despite the predominantly white-ball focus. He mentions, "It's not a bad idea to have a Women's Test Championship, something we can look forward to. But that is for the BCCI & ICC to decide. If it happens, it's indeed better for the game."
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur leads the team with five Tests, while vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is the most experienced player. Key players like Smriti, Jemimah, Shafali, Deepti, and Pooja are expected to perform well in the Test. Meanwhile, South Africa's women have played only one Test in two years, a comprehensive win against Australia in Perth. The Test debuts include Sune Luus, Delmi Tucker, Tazmin Brits, Masabata Klaas, and Anneke Bosch.
