MUMBAI: In the lead-up to the India-Australia Test, it was made clear that there were no points allotted for this match like there are in the Ashes. Australia even brought the multi-format trophy they won in 2021, only to realise later that no points were to be shared. There were no Test championship points at stake in Mumbai. Like the Test against England in Navi Mumbai, this was a one-off Test against the side that plays the longest format fairly regularly.
Even before the fixture started, only one of the sides knew when and where their next Test would be. And none of it mattered when India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana lofted Jess Jonassen over her head to seal a famous victory against Australia by eight wickets at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
This win, the first-ever against Australia, second on home soil in two weeks after a drought of nine years, came at a time with a new coach taking over the reins after a long time of uncertainty. After the white-ball series loss against England, the two back-to-back Tests marked the return of the longest format since 2014. India's last Test wins came in the same year.
Even if you want to check the highlights of India's wins from that year, you can only find a grainy vision of the Wormsley Test against England when the Mithali Raj-led side beat England with eight debutants. There are not many photos available from the win against South Africa in Mysore, the footage is a distant dream.
However, now, the world saw India dominate the format. For a team that was asked to win more matches, if they wanted any major changes in the way they function, these two Tests have laid a foundation for more Tests to come. Even players want more of these Tests despite their tired bodies needing some rest.
"We are fully recovered (laughs). When you see the results after so many days of hard work, you've been preparing for it for 15 days, so when you get the result the body recovers by itself," Sneh Rana, the player of the match for her seven wickets in the match, said. "It is always an amazing feeling when you contribute something to the team. This feeling is hard to describe in words. I feel good. They are very important because Test matches (for women) are happening in India after a long time.
Test matches hold a lot of significance for people. We are fortunate that we got to play two back-to-back Tests, that too in home conditions. I'm hopeful that we get more Test matches going forward and it will be good not just for us but also for the girls who will play for the country in the future," she added.
Alyssa Healy, Australia's captain echoed similar sentiments. "Standing there at the presentation, when Anjum Chopra asked me a question, I said 'yup, imagine playing two more of these'. That would be an unbelievable experience for our group and probably a true test of both side's abilities. In a one-off Test [with] India playing in their home conditions, you'd expect them to be heavy favourites. We'd love to see more and more, and it would create a real contest in three games," she said.
Since 2017, there have been only two teams, England and Australia, that have gathered all the silverware there is to win. In recent times, Australia have been the team that has stood between the Indian side and the ultimate glory. Whether it was the 2020 T20 World Cup in front of the full Melbourne Cricket Ground or the gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
Earlier this year, a collapse at the very end meant India could not topple Australia to make it to another final of the T20 World Cup, despite Kaur's valiant half-century. For India to beat the side that has hardly seen any significant loss in such a remarkable fashion makes it a sweeter victory. The mountains feel high because the valleys were so deep for the team and the supporters.
Going forward the multi-format series can be a way to go. The teams that can afford to play more Tests, should get as many as under their belt for the the longest format to become a regular occurrence. Those who can host the Tests should invite more countries over to play the format.
The white-ball fixtures with multiple World Cups coming up in the next few years will definitely take precedence over the Tests and understandably so, but the joy of Tests is unmissable. And India could take a lead in this regard, given how dominant their team can be in the home conditions. The Tests are done, and trophies are won, but it would certainly be more meaningful if they secure the future of women's Test cricket. For everyone.