Australia captain Meg Lanning wants women's Test cricket matches to also be five-day contests, just like it is for men's players.
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Australia captain Meg Lanning wants women’s Tests to also be five-day contests, just like it is for men’s players. The reason? To improve the chances of getting a result in the match. She cited the recent rain-affected drawn game between India and England to call for the change. Lanning believes the current system of four-day Tests for women reduces the possibility of a result. This is especially true if rain decides to interfere in the Test match.
“I think it probably makes sense to take it out to five days. We saw in the last two – the Test match we played against England and the one just recently with England and India – that there was a little bit of rain around and once that happens, it makes it pretty difficult to to get a result,” she told media people in Melbourne.
“So I think pushing out the five days makes a lot of sense and I think you will get more results and then teams pushing for that.”
Lanning believes India playing Test matches abroad is a big boost for women’s cricket. She also hoped that her team’s upcoming contest against Mithali Raj’s side would become a regular feature and not just a “one-off”.
The Indian women’s team is currently touring England. The lone Test of that tour went to a draw and India won the final match of the three-ODI series.
The two sides will now face off in a three-match T20 series that will start on July 9 at Northampton.
After the England tour, India travel to Australia in September to play three ODIs and three T20Is. They will also play a maiden Day-Night Test at Perth starting September 30.
“It’s really exciting that they’ve (India) agreed to play in a Test match and they’re very willing to do it having played England as well,” Lanning said.
“I think it’s only going to move the game forward and increase the awareness of the game both here and in India as well which I think is a really important part of it.”
The 29-year-old World Cup-winning Australia skipper personally can’t wait to tour India for a Test engagement.
“Personally I’d love to play a Test match in India. I think that would be a great test and a really good challenge and something I’d love to happen in the not too distant future.
“Hopefully, this Test match being part of the series against them is not just a one-off, hopefully, it’s the start of something that will continue into the future as well,” Lanning said.
The Indian women last played a Test match against Australia in February 2006 at the Adelaide Oval. The hosts won that particular match.
