At Wankhede, India face Australia and rigours of consecutive Tests

After arriving in Mumbai, the Australian cricket team quickly learned that the trophy they brought with them from their home series against India in 2021 is now of no significance. Australian player Alyssa Healy expressed surprise at this, stating that she had expected India to back themselves in their home conditions and start the series with a 4-0 win. Nevertheless, she acknowledged the opportunity to battle it out for three separate trophies in the tour-opener, a one-off Test match taking place at the Wankhede Stadium.

Despite the absence of series points, this Test match holds great importance for both teams. It is a rare occasion, with the only thing rarer being the use of pink, women-sized SG balls, which were initially supposed to be used in this game according to the original Future Tours Programme (FTP).

None of the Indian players in the squad of 16, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, have ever played back-to-back Tests in their careers. For the 15 players in the Australian touring party, led by Alyssa Healy in the post-Meg Lanning era, this is their first experience with red ball cricket in the subcontinent. Both captains come into this Test match with convincing victories on their Test captaincy debuts against the same opponent. They are now tasked with maintaining the momentum and team spirit in a format that seldom allows for continuity.

India is coming off a dominating 347-run victory over England last week, but they haven't had much time in the middle. The team only fielded for 63 overs across both innings, leading to an early finish and some extra time off. While they have every reason to be confident, India must also guard against over-confidence as Australia is known for being tough opponents in any format of the game.

Australia, despite playing a Test match only once every two years in the Ashes, cannot be considered as an experienced Test team in the women's game. As Healy put it, Test cricket in women's cricket requires constant learning and adjustment, making it necessary to adapt to the format on the go.

The Australian team is approaching this Test match after 45 days of T20 cricket in a league. They have had longer training sessions to prepare for the longer format, while India has played their first home Test match in nine years. To acclimatize themselves to the SG red ball and the challenges of Test cricket in the subcontinent, Australia played a 50-overs-a-side practice game against Mumbai Women's XI.

In terms of turnaround time, Australia has an advantage over India, and they would be cautious not to repeat the mistakes made by England. While points are not at stake, Australia has a successful record in Test matches against India, having won four out of ten previous encounters without losing a game.

The match will take place at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on December 21, starting at 9:30 AM IST or 4 AM GMT.

Pitch conditions at Wankhede Stadium are expected to be different from the Navi Mumbai pitch used last week. The pitch currently shows some green and is expected to be trimmed before the start of the match.

Team News

India:

The hosts will have to make at least one forced change due to Shubha Satheesh's hairline fracture on her dominant hand, which leaves the no. 3 spot open. This presents an opportunity for either Harleen Deol or Richa Ghosh to make their Test debuts, possibly in a lower batting position. Harleen Deol, who can also contribute with part-time legspin, focused on close-in fielding drills during the training session. Alternatively, Richa Ghosh, a medium pacer at the domestic level and India's white-ball wicketkeeper, could be selected purely as a batter. Another contender for a Test debut is the yet-to-be-named replacement player, Priya Punia, who scored 99 runs in the first innings of a warm-up game against India seniors last month. Renuka Thakur's impressive performance with the new ball and Pooja Vastrakar's all-round abilities leave no room for doubt about their selection. However, if India wants to manage the workload of their pacers, Meghna Singh could make a comeback against the same opponent she made her Test debut against.

Probable XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol/Richa Ghosh/Priya Punia, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad