Women's Test: India to take on Australia in pink ball

IN a historic first, India women will take on Australia in their first-ever pink-ball Test match starting Thursday (30) at the Metricon Stadium in Queensland. All eyes will be on how the batters, especially India openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, adjust to the moving ball in twilight conditions.

Mithali Raj’s side will enter the Test match with some momentum behind them as they recently put a break on Australia’s 26-match unbeaten run in one-day internationals after defeating them in the final game by two wickets. Australia won the three-game series 2-1 after winning a closely contested second game.

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In June, India played their first Test in almost seven years and drew the game in Bristol against England despite facing a follow-on.

India last played Australia in a Test in 2006 and 15 years later, both sides find themselves approaching a historic moment – playing a Test match under the lights.

The home team has a potent pace attack and the Indian batters would have their task cut out.

Ace Indian batter Harmanpreet Kaur missed the one-day series because of an injury and it is not clear yet whether she will feature in the Indian XI for the Test. A lot will depend on Raj. Deepti Sharma, who made her Test debut in the game against England and did well, will be another player the visitors will be banking on.

Veteran seamer Jhulan Goswami, who delivered an impressive performance in the third ODI against Australia, will enter the pink-ball contest with high confidence and it has to be seen whether the likes of Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey and Meghna Singh can give her the right support against the Australian batters.

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Hannah Darlington, Alyssa Healy, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham.

India Test and ODI squad: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Meghna Singh, Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht.