Seven months after the stupendous show in the World Cup, Indian women's cricket team is ready to shake off its rustiness against South Africa in a three-match series, which will also be a first round fixture of the ICC Women's Championship.
The three-match series starting tomorrow will give both teams a chance to directly qualify for the 2021 ICC Women's World Cup.
Kimberley will be the venue of the ODIs on February 5 and 7, while the series will finish in Potchefstroom on February 10.
Mithali Raj and her team did not get to play any international games — thanks to lackadaisical planning on the part of the BCCI and the biggest challenge will be to get back into the groove.
With women's cricket being closely followed post World Cup, Mithali knows that the players' responsibility has increased manifold.
"Every match will be scrutinised by people, by the critics, by everybody, because now people have seen the actual standard of women's cricket and the Indian team," Mithali said. "So, yes, from now on whatever matches that we get to play, will be closely watched by all of them (and) followed by all the cricket fanatic people in our country as well as overseas."
The skipper herself has been busy with a series of promotional events and only played a few matches in the NationalOne-Day C’ship.
"I am eager to get back to playing international cricket. It has been a while since the World Cup and the South Africa tour will be the first once since. It is good to play against good sides in challenging conditions because it gets the best out of a side which is trying to improve," she said.
The centre of attention will be 17-year-old Mumbai schoolgirl Jemimah Rodriguez, who has been a prolific scorer in domestic competitions.
While India finished a creditable runners-up in the World Cup, they were comfortably crushed by 115 runs by the Proteas women in the league stage.