India bank on recent form to upstage Australia

Hammered in the ODIs, the Indian women’s cricket team would expect the senior players to step up with inspiring performances when it faces Australia in a day-night Test for the first time in nearly five years, starting here on Friday.

India would be brimming with confidence, having remained unbeaten in their last five Tests. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side won three consecutive Tests between December 2023 and July 2024, defeating England, Australia and South Africa respectively, but all those wins came on home soil. India’s last two overseas Tests ended in draws against England and Australia in 2021. The game against Australia in September-October of that year was a day-nighter that the visitors drew. A major highlight of that match was Smriti Mandhana, who scored the second of her two Test hundreds at that time.

The pink ball Test will conclude the multi-format series between the two rivals. India won the T20Is before being blanked in the ODIs, giving Australia an 8-4 lead in the points tally.

While two points each were on offer for T20 and ODI wins, the winner of the Test will get four points for an outright win. Australia would walk away with the overall honours if they are able to draw the match, but for India, a win would be needed to sign off level in the final standings.

The Indians would take confidence from the fact that they created history by winning their first-ever Test against Australia by eight wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in December 2023.

While the onus would be on the likes of seniors Harmanpreet, her deputy Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma to share the responsibility in the batting department, focus would also be on stylish right-hander Pratika Rawal, who is expected to make her Test debut on Friday.

Rawal is one of the seven uncapped India players named for the day-night Test at the WACA Ground.

The Indian squad is a mix of youth and experience with seven uncapped players in the Test line-up, including 20-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, and Kashvee Gautam, to name a few.

Both Kranti Gaud and Amanjot Kaur were a part of India’s World Cup-winning ODI team and could make their Test debuts on Friday.

But the visitors will miss the services of experienced medium pacer Renuka Singh, who has been rested as part of her workload management. In her place, young, quick Kashvee Gautam has been included.

Australia, on the other hand, will look to give a grand farewell to their captain, Alyssa Healy, who will be playing her 299th and final international match.

Australia too have included a few uncapped players in Rachel Trenaman and Maitlan Brown in their squad following the quad injuries to Kim Garth and Ellyse Perry, and the back problem of Sophie Molineux.

While both Garth and Molineaux have been ruled out of the match, Australia are hoping that Perry will recover in time.