The Indian women’s cricket team is about to play their first test match in almost seven years and everyone in the squad seems to be beyond thrilled to be a part of this.
India women will play two tests this season, one test will be played in the tour of England on June 16 and another one is a pink-ball test match against Australia later in September. This is an important moment in India’s history as this test will be Indian women’s first day-night test match and Indian power-hitter Harmanpreet Kaur is excited to be a part of the history.
The Indian all-rounder and skipper of the Indian team in the T20 format Harmanpreet Kaur has been a part of the Indian side for a long time now. She is the first Indian woman to score a century in a T20 International match. Having played for India 2 test matches, 99 ODIs, and 113 T20Is, Harmanpreet is quite an experienced member in the side. In October 2019, she became the first cricketer, male or female, to represent India in 100 T20 International matches.
In an interview with ANI, Harmanpreet talked about the upcoming test matches. She said, “I am eagerly waiting to play the Test match and fortunately we are getting to play to against the finest teams that are England and Australia. Test match is the real challenge of skill, stamina, and patience.”
“Conditions on the field are far different from that of a shorter format. For both batters and the bowlers, it is very important to plan for having enough time on the field, bowl, and bat for longer times, and most importantly show great patience. Test match is the best format for developing overall skills, stamina, and hand-eye coordination,” she added.
In the recent limited-overs series against South Africa, India lost 4 out of 5 One-Day International matches and 2 of the 3 T20 Internationals, losing the series altogether. Talking about this, Harman said, “It has not been a great year for any one of us, personally I know and feel that whatever is required for us as players to follow as a routine has been impossible due to pandemic and moreover playing no matches at all was another factor.”
“The team did not give the best results in the series against South Africa because it was the first series played since the 2020 T20 World Cup. Presently, the team looks good and we are prepared to play some good cricket in England followed by Australia,” Harman further added.
The Indian women will fly off to England on June 2 with the men’s squad and start their series with a Test on June 16 and go on to play 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. Almost half a dozen players will be debuting in the coming test, but Shafali Varma’s debut is surely the one that everyone is waiting to see. Talking about Shafali, Harman said, “Shafali is the energy in the team. Her positivity and the ‘bindas’ attitude on the field give a lot of confidence to the rest of her teammates. She is definitely the rising star who has already proved her talent.”
At the beginning of 2021, Harmanpreet tested positive for COVID-19. She urged everyone to take the vaccine as soon as possible and to stay safe.
“My message to all my fellow Indians is to please get vaccinated and do not delay any longer, do not trust any rumors. It is our responsibility to support each other and when the efforts are being made by the necessary departments then we should avail it.”
“Staying indoors is the new normal and we must respect these conditions till the time everything is normal, wearing your mask and washing your hands at all times will surely help each one of us survive this deadly virus,” Harmanpreet signed off.
Source: ANI