The Indian team made the entire country proud by winning their first-ever gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Following this historic campaign, the team has a busy few months ahead. They will be facing cricketing juggernauts England and Australia in a multi-format series at home. While the next few months will be challenging, the upcoming series will be extremely special as the team will be playing a test match at home after nine long years.
India last played a test match at home in 2014 against South Africa and won the game convincingly by an innings and 34 runs. Some of the standout performers in that game were Punam Raut scoring 130 and Harmanpreet Kaur with a five-wicket haul in the first innings and a four-wicket haul in the second. Kaur who is now the captain of the team is delighted at the prospect of playing a test at home but expressed disappointment at the lack of test match experience the team has, “even at the domestic level”.
Since that game, India has played only two international test matches, one each against England and Australia in 2021.
Kaur also spoke about how playing a test match is the pinnacle for every cricketer and that she wants to make the most of this opportunity.
“Playing Test cricket is always something that as athletes we want to be part of. I was a little unlucky when last Test we played against Australia. I was injured then. But now again I have got this opportunity especially in home conditions and with two Test matches coming up, I’m really looking forward to grab this opportunity with both hands” she said.
#ICYMI, here's the schedule of England's tour to India in December. #CricketTwitter #INDvENG | 📸: Getty pic.twitter.com/tJnlX4HZSm
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 28, 2023
Further, she added, “I’m sure we will try to do our best because now we don’t have much experience when we talk about Test games because even at our domestic level we don’t play nowadays this form of cricket. But still, we are looking for this opportunity and I’m sure as a team we will put our best performance forward.”
The series will also include 3 T20Is each against England and Australia and this will serve as a great source of preparation for the team. The Indian pool is currently brimming with talent with players like Titas Sadhu, Jemimah Rodriguez, Pooja Vastrakar, and many more. Moreover, with the WPL, we may see new and emerging players on the field.
Regarding this, Kaur said, “We have been working with young athletes. We try to give each and everyone opportunity before the main event. And now the next two series are very important. We will try to give our best players the maximum opportunity heading towards the T20 World Cup.
#ICYMI, here's the schedule of Australia's tour to India in December. #CricketTwitter #INDvAUS | 📸: Getty pic.twitter.com/5vEtC7o6Im
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 28, 2023
“We have been doing really well at the international level. We have been part of so many semis and finals. But winning a cup for the country is something which as a team we are always looking for and I’m sure tournaments like WPL and under-19 level cricket, will definitely give us so much good talent and all of us can work together to get the cup for the country.”
The clashes with England and Australia have always been exciting and the upcoming matches promise to be thrilling as well. The series will be an important one for the team and we can expect them to give it their all and win the games in front of the home crowd.
(Quotes sourced from Hindustan Times)
Vaishnavi is a passionate author with an unwavering love for cricket, particularly women’s cricket. Her writing reflects her deep admiration for the sport and her dedication to promoting women’s participation in it. When she’s not following the latest cricket matches, Vaishnavi can be found engrossed in books or enjoying movies.