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Sune Luus counting on game-time advantage ahead of India series

Women's CricZone Staff

01 Mar 2021

India, South Africa look to gain one-upmanship as international cricket comes to Surat — Hilton Moreeng, Sune Luus, Harmanpreet Kaur and WV Raman at the pre-series press conference. © Cricket South Africa/ Twitter

South Africa skipper Sune Luus has said she is hoping the game-time they had ahead of the India series would be favourable for them in their tour to the subcontinent that begins with the ODI series on March 7, at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

Speaking ahead of the series Luus said that a tour to India is always tough. "We have had game-time behind us, and I do not think they have had that, which I am hoping will be an advantage for us," she said on Monday (March 1).

“We have five ODIs and three T20Is with a quick turnaround between games, which in itself is tough. The opponents are very competitive players. They have players like Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, and all those players, who we know are top quality. But I think we are well-prepared to face them."

She said that coming to India is always exciting.“We’re never sure what to expect when we get here. For this trip, we have never played on the ground. We don’t know what it looks like or what the conditions will be like. I think it will be the same for India as well. So I think it is going to be an even contest.”

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The 25-year-old stated that they expect the conditions to be favourable for the spinners, adding, "luckily, we are well-prepared for that. The girls are just so excited and ready to execute their plans and play to the best of their abilities.”

Leading the team in the absence of Dane van Niekerk, Luus said that having back-to-back series after not playing for almost a year is exciting. "It really helps with our preparation for the World Cup next year, and I think the more cricket we play now, the better it will be for us, come the finals in New Zealand. I think every match we play, we need to capitalise on and make the most of the opportunity."

“I think we have the likes Marizanne, Shabnim and all the rest back again. Many of the players are also in form, at the moment, which is what you need when you go to India. Hopefully, it turns out to be a good tour for us.”

The last time South Africa toured India was in 2019 when India won the ODI series 3-0 and the T20I leg 3-1. In the upcoming series, they would be playing five ODIs and three T20Is in a bio-secure environment. Both the contingents are currently undergoing mandatory quarantine at Lucknow.