On May 14, the BCCI announced an 18-member squad for the one-off Test that will be played between India Women and England Women from June 16 to June 19 at the County Ground in Bristol.
Test squad: Mithali Raj (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Punam Raut, Priya Punia, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Indrani Roy (wicket-keeper), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav.
India and England last played a Test match in August 2014 after a gap of eight years, which the Women in Blue went on to win by six wickets. This time around as well, Mithali Raj and co. will be confident of putting a good show.
Out of the 18 members in the squad, only eight featured in the 2014 Test that was played at Wormsley, which means that as many as 10 players will have their first tryst with Test cricket. Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, and Ekta Bisht were the seven players who were a part of the winning side in 2014.
With the likes of youngsters such as Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues making it to the Test squad, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the longest format of the game.
Let’s take a look at the 10 newcomers at the Test level:
Priya Punia: The right-hand opening bat showed promise in the recently concluded South Africa series. Having featured in nine international games so far, the 24-year old from Rajasthan has a couple of half centuries to her name.
Deepti Sharma: The 23-year old from Uttar Pradesh has been India’s best all-rounder in the recent past. With more than 100 international matches, she has shown her value with both bat and ball, and ofcourse not to forget her electric fielding.
Jemimah Rodrigues: The top-order right-hand bat from Mumbai has a good head above her shoulders. At just 20-years of age, she has already featured in 66 international matches for India and has been a regular member of the squad since 2018.
Shafali Verma: Last year during the Women’s World T20 she raised many eyebrows with her powerful strokeplay. When on song the 17-year old is a treat to watch and has the capability to take the game away from the opposition single-handedly.
Sneh Rana: She is making her comeback for India after five years on the back of a prolific domestic season. The stage is set for the 27-year old all-rounder to make it big again at the highest level.
Taniya Bhatia: The right-hand bat and wicket-keeper is a live wire behind the stumps. Having missed out on the recently concluded South Africa series, the 23-year old from Chandigarh will look to grab this opportunity with both hands.
Indrani Roy: Wicket-keeper and right-hand opening bat from Jharkhand was picked up for the England series, courtesy of her prolific domestic season. She was the highest run-getter in the tournament and guided her team to the finals.
Pooja Vastrakar: The right arm quick bowler from Madhya Pradesh has blown hot and cold. The 21-year old made her debut in 2018 and has featured in 26 international games for India. If given a chance, she would look to cement her place in the side.
Arundhati Reddy: The right arm medium pacer from Hyderabad can bowl with the new ball. Though not express pace, she is known for her disciplined lines and lengths.
Radha Yadav: She is one of the talented all-rounders in the Indian line-up. The 21-year old left arm spinner can not only pick up crucial wickets but also when required contribute with the bat.
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.