Into the unknown: India women to take the field for their first-ever pink-ball Test

Pink-ball Test puts India and Australia women in uncharted territory  as Mithali & Co bank on English experience to tide through Gold Coast
Australia’s Alyssa Healy will be a force to reckon with at the top
Australia’s Alyssa Healy will be a force to reckon with at the top

CHENNAI:  The Indian women’s cricket team will take another exciting leap forward when they take to the field for their first-ever pink-ball Test against hosts Australia at the Carrara Oval, a suburb in Gold Coast, beginning on Thursday. This is the first time since 2006 that they will play two Tests in a year.

The last Test they played was in England (Bristol, June 16-19) where the team claimed a very creditable draw after following on. In the context of this game, there are a few things to look forward to. This is likely to be both Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami’s swansong in the format. More importantly, if the visitors don’t lose, they will still be alive in the multi-format series. With Australia leading 4-2, a loss for the visitors will put the hosts in the driver’s seat ahead of the T20Is. 

Going into the day-night Te­st, there are a lot of unknowns. This being only the second pink ball Test in history of women’s cricket, this is pretty much uncharted territory for most players. First up, there is the challenge of learning and adapting to conditions. 

Australia coach Matthew Mott says whoever works out the conditions first could gain the upper hand. “(The ODIs before) sets out really well for a great Test,” he said at a pre-match press conference. “(Gold Coast) is a nice, fresh place to be in. What it will come down to is who adapts quickest to the conditions that’s presented to them. Who gets to the game and finds out the conditions the quickest... going to be a fascinating contest.” 

From an Indian perspective, there will be no Harmanpreet Kaur who hasn’t recovered from the injury. That’s a blow considering the unique nature of the pink ball Test, what with bowlers holding sway. The 47-year-old touches upon that aspect of the four-day game. “Unlike the men, we don’t really have reverse but in that twilight period, it can get tricky. You have to bowl well but it’s an opportunity to pick some wickets. It’s up to you ask questions with the ball.” 

Even if the hosts possess good bowlers of their own, Mott namechecked the likes of Meghna Singh, Goswami and Pooja Vastrakar as pacers who could do serious damage to their line-up. “It (India’s bowling line-up) has definitely become more varied,” he said. “We have traditionally faced a lot of spin, they (India) are building nicely in that department (to have more seamers). I guess it’s the last piece of jigsaw that India are looking to fill, it’s great for the game to have young fast-bowlers coming through.” 

The likes of Annabel Sutherland and Stellla Campbell — two of the home quicks — are likely to make their debuts in the format because of the injuries in the hosts’ camp. “There will be some new faces,” he said. “Don’t want to play all our cards just yet.” 

With significant rain around the next two days, that’s another factor the two teams will have to keep in mind. However, with the pitch expected to sport a greenish tinge, the hosts do begin favourites, even taking into consideration the newness of the format and conditions.

Live on Sony Six, 10 AM 

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com