Indian women set to play first pink ball Test with match against Australia

Indian women set to play first pink ball Test with match against Australia

Indian Women's Test Team

The Indian women’s cricket team will play their first ever pink ball Test match as well as their first in Australian soil for the first time since 2006 when they tour Down Under in September. According to the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, one Test match has been scheduled as well as a limited overs leg and the matches will be played later this year, the schedule of which has not been announced yet.

The last time India played against Australia in a Test was in 2006. Totally, the two sides have featured in five Tests with no wins to for India. As a matter of fact, there have only been three series before, with a one-off Test in 1976, a three-match series in 1990 and a one-off in 2006. Just one of the five Test matches were a draw with Australia winning the other four. India would want to rectify that record this year.

Shikha Pandey, Taniya Bhatia and Shafali Verma to take part

Shafali Verma
Shafali Verma

The Indian team will be led by Mithali Raj and this will be one of the first years in a long time in Indian cricket where the women’s team is featuring in two Tests in the same year. The previous time it happened was way back in 2014. The other Test scheduled this year is on June 16 against England in Bristol.

For India, the likes of Shikha Pandey and Taniya Bhatia have returned to the squad while young Shafali Verma has been called up to the ODI and Test teams for the England tour. A similar team is expected for the Australia tour as well.

Jay Shah took to Twitter today to confirm the news of the pink-ball test as he wrote, “Taking forward our commitment towards women’s cricket, I am extremely pleased to announce that Team India @BCCIwomen will play in their first-ever pink ball day-night Test later this year in Australia.”

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