India women's cricket team set to achieve history in Australia tour

The India women’s cricket is all set to make 2021 a historic year. After the Test in England, Mithali Raj and company will play one more Test in Australia in mid-September. This will be the first time since 2014 that the Indian women’s cricket team will play two Tests in a calendar year. The tour to Australia is also very significant. It will be the first time in 15 years that India is touring Australia for a Test. The match is going to be historic in more ways than one.

According to a tweet by Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, “Taking forward our commitment towards women’s cricket, I am extremely pleased to announce that Team India @BCCIwomen will play in their first-ever pink ball day-night Test later this year in Australia.”

Taking forward our commitment towards women's cricket, I am extremely pleased to announce that Team India @BCCIwomen will play in their first-ever pink ball day-night Test later this year in Australia.

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) May 20, 2021

India last played a Test in Australia in 2006 in Adelaide. Australia emerged victorious by an innings and four runs. India has played nine Tests against Australia since 1984 but they have never won against them. Overall, their result against Australia is four losses, zero wins, and five draws.

Historic Pink Ball Test

In women’s cricket, there has been only one Pink Ball Test which was played and that was in 2017. The North Sydney Oval was the venue for the Women’s Ashes Test. Ellyse Perry scored a double century as the match ended in a draw.

India is heading to England for a Test, three ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals in June-July. The side is playing a Test match after seven years, when India hosted South Africa in Mysore in 2014. India was initially supposed to travel to Australia for three ODIs in 2020. But, that series was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Although the details are not been worked out yet, it was pacer Megan Schutt who told a podcast that Australia’s next assignment will be against India. The venue for the Pink Ball Test has not been decided.

The India women’s cricket team is assembling in Mumbai to be part of the bubble for the tour to England. Stars like Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana will also be part of The Hundred in the UK. It is also expected that they will also participate in the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League this year.