Indian Women vs England Women Test: 5 Players to Watch
India's women's cricket team will square off against England women in a one-off Test match in Bristol on June 16. The four-day match will be the first for the Indian women's team since 2014. The hosts, on the other hand, will come into the fixture with more experience having been involved in Women’s Ashes in 2019. There is plenty of exciting talent within both sides and the clash promises to be an interesting one.
In this article, we look at five players who could shine in the one-off Test between the English and Indian women's teams.
Five Players from England and Indian Women to Watch
#5. Katherine Brunt
With 41 wickets in just 12 Tests, Katherine Brunt is the highest wicket-taker in Women’s Test cricket among active cricketers. The pacer is one of the most experienced players in the England squad with 287 international wickets to her name and is also a handy lower-order batter. Brunt is extremely consistent with her line and length, and can be a handful in swinging conditions. The 35-year-old all-rounder will hope to pick up some early wickets for her team to put the Indian women's top order under pressure in the one-off Test.
#4. Shafali Verma
Shafali Varma’s aggressive style of play at the top has earned her a place in the Indian women's Test team for the tour of England. The swashbuckling opener’s knack of taking on bowlers from the start of the innings makes her a threat even in the game’s longest format. In her relatively short international career, Verma already boasts a strike-rate in excess of 148. The 17-year-old who will be donning the Whites for the first time in her career, will be hoping to set the stage on fire and unsettle the England bowlers.
#3. Jhulan Goswami
The veteran pacer will be a vital cog in the team if the Indian women are to win the one-off Test on English soil. Goswami has a good Test record of 40 wickets from just 10 Test matches including three five-wicket hauls. The 38-year-old will handle the new ball duties and look to extract movement off the surface. Goswami is expected to spearhead the bowling unit and provide the team with early breakthroughs.
#2. Heather Knight
The England women’s team captain is one of the most experienced batters in the side with over 4,500 runs in international cricket. Knight, who bats at number 3 for England in Tests, will look to anchor the innings. The 30-year-old has been in good form lately, smashing three consecutive half centuries in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, England women’s domestic one-day competition. Knight will look to carry her stupendous form into the Test arena and help her team defeat the Indian women at Bristol.
#1. Mithali Raj
One of the legends of women’s cricket in India, Mithali Raj, will step onto the field at Bristol hoping to extend her fantastic record in Test cricket. The 38-year-old averages over 50 in Test cricket with a best of 214 in Taunton back in 2002. Raj recently became the first Indian woman and only the second female international cricketer to cross 10,000 runs in international cricket. India's skipper will look to lead the Indian women to a memorable victory in Bristol and begin their tour of England on a positive note.