With less than 24 hours to go for the much-anticipated Test between India and England to be played at Bristol from June 16 to June 19, Female Cricket got in touch with Jaya Sharma and Suman Sharma in a live chat to discuss the different aspects of the match, including players to watch out for, conditions at the venue, and the probable playing XI.
Talking about the importance of Test cricket, Jaya Sharma, former India opener said, “Test cricket is like a pinnacle. It is right at the top. Every player who represents the country wants to play Test cricket. The best of the players get the chance to play the longest format. As the name suggests, it tests the character, temperament, technique and it shows what the player is all about.”
Commenting on the strengths of the Indian team, she said, “We have the two giants; Mithali and Jhulan around, which is a big positive for the team. I think we have a very balanced side in terms of batting and bowling. Also, the fact that we have a good mix of young and senior players will help us going into the Test.”
Further, the former India player pointed out that players like Shafali Verma, Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana could be the players to watch out for. She said, “We all know what Shafali is capable of. If she gets going, she can demoralize any bowling attack. Apart from her, I think we have depth in our batting with the likes of Punam, Harman, Mithali, and Deepti in the ranks.”
In addition to the batting, Jaya emphasized the strength of India’s bowling. She said, “We have a strong bowling attack with a good blend of seamers and spinners. Jhulan and Shikha have already played Test in England, as has Ekta Bisht. Their experience will certainly be useful for the other bowlers in the side.”
In the end, both Jaya Sharma and Suman Sharma shared their probable playing XI.
Jaya Sharma’s probable playing XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Pooja Vastrakar
Former India International Jaya Sharma has picked up her Playing XI for tomorrow on #FemaleCricketLive 😀
Watch full chat: https://t.co/wLpZ8RsOrC
Will you go with the same XI? #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/uqGYZxkON3
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 15, 2021
Suman Sharma’s probable playing XI: Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Sneh Rana, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Ekta Bisht, Pooja Vastrakar
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I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.