The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on January 24, 2026, unveiled India women’s Test squad for the highly anticipated one-off Test match against Australia Women, scheduled to be played at the WACA Ground in Perth from March 6 to 9, 2026. This announcement comes as part of India’s multi-format tour Down Under, which will begin with a white-ball series comprising three T20 Internationals and three ODIs beginning on February 15 before culminating in the red-ball Test.
With the women’s game gaining momentum globally and India having lifted the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025, the selectors faced a crucial balance between experience and emerging talent. The squad reflects this blend, featuring seasoned campaigners alongside exciting newcomers earning maiden Test call-ups. The squad sees 5 maiden Test call-ups and seven players in line for a Test debut.
India’s Test Squad for Australia Tour 2026:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Thakur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare
One of the headline stories from the selection is the inclusion of 25-year-old opener Pratika Rawal, who has earned her first long-format call-up. Rawal was a key performer for India during their triumphant 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup campaign, finishing as the fourth-highest run-scorer with 308 runs in six innings before a late-tournament ankle injury sidelined her. Across her ODI career, Rawal has amassed 1,110 runs in 24 matches at an impressive average of 50.45, including two centuries and seven half-centuries. The selectors’ decision to include her reflects both her rich scoring record and her full recovery from injury.
Another exciting development is the maiden Test call-up for 20-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma. The youngster first burst onto the scene with standout performances in India’s Under-19 Women’s World Cup campaign in 2025, where she emerged as one of the tournament’s leading bowlers. Vaishnavi made her senior international debut in December 2025 during the home T20I series against Sri Lanka and has featured in five T20Is so far — a rapid rise for a bowler who went unsold at the Women’s Premier League auction but impressed as an injury replacement for the Mumbai Indians, where she dismissed top batters including Shafali Verma early in her WPL career.
Seam bowler Kranti Gaud also makes her maiden Test squad after impressive performances in white-ball cricket, including 23 ODI wickets to her name, providing India with additional bowling depth. The inclusion of Sayali Satghare, who has three ODI appearances further strengthens the pace options, also represents the exclusion of seasoned players like Arundhati Reddy.
With only a single Test scheduled on the tour, the margin for error will be minimal for India. The Perth encounter offers no room for gradual adjustment, making preparation, selection balance, and on-field execution crucial from the first session. The inclusion of experienced leaders alongside first-time Test hopefuls underlines India’s intent to remain competitive while simultaneously investing in the future of red-ball cricket.
As India take on Australia in their own conditions, the one-off Test will not only test skill and temperament but also serve as a vital marker of India’s depth and direction in the longest format.
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