Rejuvenated India, SA resume ODI rivalry as new Championship beckons

In the six months between their touch-down in Mumbai as the runners-up of the 2017 World Cup and their take-off late last month for South Africa for their first international assignment of the year, the landscape of women's cricket has changed drastically in India. There is more attention, telecast, and hence lofty expectations; pay hike, endorsement deals and generous invites for talk-shows to share their success stories. It's been a freakishly long international break that, in the words of the two national captains, the World Cup side needed to recuperate and rejuvenate before entering a jam-packed year that will culminate with women's cricket's first-ever stand-alone World Twenty20, in the Caribbean.

Given it's a World T20 year, the teams are naturally inclined towards the abridged version of the game, with boards increasing the number of matches in bilaterals or, better still, lending more context to it all by arranging for tri-series. South Africa play India in five T20Is on this tour, two more than the corresponding men's fixtures. But the three ODIs lurking in the background don't lose any sheen, for its the start of the new ICC Women's ODI Championship for both South Africa and India.

In many ways, these are two like teams. Two, battle-hardened teams, who suffered agonisingly narrow defeats at the hands of the same opponent in the World Cup and are now pitted against each other, fighting for early honours in this fresh, three-year cycle. At the helm are the captains whose abilities to lead by example can hardly be questioned; openers that can prove lethal on their day, and middle-order that has bucketloads of experience. The bowling attacks are led by history's leading wicket-taker on one hand and the world's leading bowler on the other.

Also, these are two teams that have played each other the most in recent past - at home, away and in neutral venues. South Africa claimed their 2014-16 ODI Championship round, in India, 2-1. India hit back with victories in the finals of both the World Cup Qualifiers in Sri Lanka and that of the quadrangular one-day series in South Africa. The Dane van Niekerk-led side avenged it all by inflicting a massive 115-run defeat in the World Cup. As enticing as this rivalry has shaped up to be, both teams would know better than to rest on past laurels. The preparation for World Cup 2021 begins on Monday and having taken the Qualifiers route previously, both would be eager to hit the ground running from the get-go, in their bid to secure an automatic qualification for the 2021 event.

During their domestic season and camps, the Indians asked for bouncier tracks to better prepare for this tour. They also left for South Africa with full 10 days in hand to acclimatize to the conditions and wickets. Having said, they've placed their faith in largely the same side that played in England. As many as 13 players of India's 16-member squad are from the World Cup side, and majority pick themselves. However, a busier than usual 2018 and the impending retirements of Mithali Raj and