Women’s ODI World Cup | White Ferns, Proteas eager to bounce back in crucial fixture

Despite starting their campaigns with defeats, New Zealand and South Africa head into their clash at the Holkar Stadium on Monday in contrasting moods.

While the White Ferns survived an embarrassment at the hands of Australia thanks to Sophie Devine’s heroics, the Proteas couldn’t escape one, with England schooling them with a 10-wicket win.

New Zealand, which has stayed put in Indore since arriving in India for the tournament, has had the chance to take a few days off and relax before resuming training. That, according to senior batter Suzie Bates, gives the team “a huge advantage” going into the clash.

The South Africans can’t afford to sit back. An upbeat training session notwithstanding, the team is under pressure to clean up its act when it takes the field in the country’s cleanest city.

The two teams haven’t met in the 50-over format in more than two years, since South Africa’s 2-1 series win in late 2023. They did, however, meet in the T20 World Cup final last year, where New Zealand emerged victorious.

While the priority was on working on their defence in the training, South African batters will do well to rethink their footwork and the lack of it against England.

The onus lies on Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits — the most prolific opening pair in ODIs since the last World Cup — to set pace for the Proteas.

Amelia Kerr’s googlies will also be one to contend with for an inconsistent middle-order, which will want to share duties with Marizanne Kapp.

The story is similar for the White Ferns, with pressure on Bates and Georgia Plimmer to come good against a diverse attack led by the miserly swing bowling of Kapp.

With the threat of rain across various venues throwing a spanner in various early predictions, defeat for either team will make their chances of reaching the semifinals a tad difficult.