Why do India Women need more Test cricket?
India Women last played a Test in 2014. Punam Raut's elegant ton at the Gangothri Glades in Mysore helped the hosts register a massive win against South Africa Women - by an innings and 34 runs.
Led by Mithali Raj, the team are currently prepping to play a one-off Test against England in June. They will then follow it up with their maiden pink-ball day-night Test against Australia at the WACA later this year.
While this doesn't make up for the prolonged sabbatical, the news comes in like a breath of fresh air. Being a team that is predominantly conditioned in the limited-overs format of the game, they will finally go up against the rigors of Test cricket.
What does this mean for India Women and their cricket careers?
The return to international Test cricket is an opportunity for India Women to play the most challenging format of the game against the very best. It also gives a chance to build a team that will see a new breed of cricketers - ones who are on their way to becoming potential generational superstars.
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Indrani Roy are some of the names the cricketing world has been showing a keen interest in. The players have the potential to join the pantheon of greats in Indian women's cricket.
From an athlete's perspective, Test cricket is more than just a physical challenge as it has always tested the resolve and temperament of players. The matches against England and Australia will test out the players' toughness, which should hold them in good stead for future endeavors as well.
Even if one tries deriving setbacks from the upcoming tour, the benefits far outweigh them. With Raj and Jhulan Goswami spearheading the unit, the fringe players will get an opportunity to learn from these cricketers who have had ample international exposure.
In a way, the outcomes of these Tests are secondary in nature to the experience the team will gain. With the pandemic situation ruling out the possibility of match practice, both the contending sides will need to steel their nerves and give it their best.
India Women squad for Test & ODI:
Mithali Raj (C), Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur (VC), Punam Raut, Priya Punia, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Indrani Roy (wk), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav.
India Women squad for T20I:
Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain) Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Indrani Roy (wk), Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav, Simaran Dil Bahadur.