Shantha Rangaswamy urges BCCI to stage pink-ball matches before Australia challenge
Former India cricketer Shantha Rangaswamy has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to stage some practice pink-ball matches before Mithali Raj & Co. embark on their first-ever day-night Test against Australia.
The historic WACA will host the one-off Test match from September 30. The BCCI Apex Council member highlighted the dire need for practice games before the pink-ball match, which is completely new to the Indian women cricketers.
“As we (BCCI) had stopped multi-day domestic cricket since 2018, our women’s team has virtually not played even red ball cricket."
“It is to the credit of the women’s team that they have eked out a honourable draw despite all odds in the recently concluded Test against England."
“Given the above background, playing under lights at the WACA in Perth will be a tougher task. They need to play under lights with the pink ball before they embark on the tour of Australia," Shantha Rangaswany suggested.
There is a dire need to make women cricketers adapt to pink balls: Shantha Rangaswamy
Shantha Rangaswamy has proposed two-day games involving four teams to gear up for the Australian challenge. Incidentally, the Indian cricketers last played a domestic red-ball game way back in 2018.
With the Women's T20 Challenge in jeopardy, Shantha Rangaswamy urged BCCI to host the practice-games to adapt to the pink balls.
“I suggest that 4 teams of at least 13 players be picked and they play each other in two-day games to familiarise themselves. The President (Sourav Ganguly) spoke of the time constraints given the 14-day quarantine in Australia,” wrote Shantha Rangaswamy.
“But to ward off a one-sided Test against Australia, there is a dire need to make them play as suggested above. Since the IPL Women’s Challenge itself is in jeopardy given the time constraints, I appeal to all of you to schedule the above to make the women’s team adapt to the Pink Ball."
“As I mentioned during the (Apex Council meeting on June 20), our men’s team too struggled in the Pink Ball Test in Australia last time they played but they could erase that memory as they played more Tests and emerged victorious. But since it is a One Off Test, this suggestion may be accepted/implemented,” wrote Shantha.
India play a three-match ODI series, starting in September 19 in the lead up to the one-off pink-ball Test. The tour will culminate with a three-match T20I series.