Is India, the best in women's Test cricket?
25 Dec 2023 12:53:35
India was at their best after showcasing a spectacular performance in Mumbai saw India register their first-ever win in women’s Test cricket history over Australia on Sunday.
Kaur's side dominated the match from the very first day after they bundled out Australia for 219. In India's first inning, the Indian batting lineup powered the hosts to 406/10 and took a 187-run lead. In the visitors' second inning, Tahlia McGrath and Ellyse Perry gave a tough fight and took the Aussies to 261-10, giving only 75 runs to chase. While chasing 75 runs, the unbeaten knocks from Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues helped the hosts chase the target without any trouble and ended the match on day 04 by clinching an 8-wicket win.
Deepti Sharma was the star of the match as she single-handedly dismantled England batters and returned with a figure of 9 for 39 and scored 87 runs. The all-rounder was awarded the Player of the Match award for her returns.
After two memorable wins against England and Australia, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was gushing in the post-match presentation on Sunday. She thanked the BCCI for bringing back home Tests and added that she'd be happy to play more.
Unfortunately, in the Future Tours Programme that has been finalised by ICC till April 2025, Indian women are not scheduled to play any more Test matches. It is not surprising per se that Harmanpreet wants India to play more Tests, because it is a format they have shown to be good at in the last two years.
"When everything works together, you get positive results. Hopefully, we'll get many more Test games in upcoming years. Thanks to the crowd. Everything went well for us," she had said.
It is worth noting that England captain Heather Knight and Australia captain Alyssa Healy – despite their sides' defeats – also hoped for more matches, more than just one-off Tests without context. Knight and Healy both spoke about how just one Test leaves them with no chance of learning and adapting to conditions.
With the ever-growing popularity of the women's game in India, the fans have been craving for the female stars to play more cricket. With some of the biggest stars of world cricket in the Indian side, playing more than just the odd one-off Test would set the right precedent for the future generation.
And, as things have positively turned out for the women's team recently including equal pay, if the BCCI decides to schedule more Tests for Indian women, there could be a glimmer of hope.
Notably, India, England, and Australia play Test cricket regularly in the women’s game, however nowhere near what Men play Tests. So, speaking in statistics, they are unbeaten in women’s Tests since 2006 they have not lost any of the four matches they have played in the last years. Apart from this, it is pertinent to mention that the 34-year-old Kaur has played 127 ODIs and 158 T20Is but only five Tests in her 14-year career.
Two major wins in 2023 enough for women's team to play more Tests?
India vs Australia
Kaur's side dominated the match from the very first day after they bundled out Australia for 219. In India's first inning, the Indian batting lineup powered the hosts to 406/10 and took a 187-run lead. In the visitors' second inning, Tahlia McGrath and Ellyse Perry gave a tough fight and took the Aussies to 261-10, giving only 75 runs to chase. While chasing 75 runs, the unbeaten knocks from Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues helped the hosts chase the target without any trouble and ended the match on day 04 by clinching an 8-wicket win.
Wins like these ☺️
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 24, 2023
Fans like these 👏
Moments like these 🙌#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/KJHslHv8Ud
India vs England
Recapping the match, captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodriguez, and Smriti Mandhana hit attacking knocks to help India reach 186/6 in 42 overs. India declared before the third day of play, having already set a massive target of 479.
After two memorable wins against England and Australia, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was gushing in the post-match presentation on Sunday. She thanked the BCCI for bringing back home Tests and added that she'd be happy to play more.
Unfortunately, in the Future Tours Programme that has been finalised by ICC till April 2025, Indian women are not scheduled to play any more Test matches. It is not surprising per se that Harmanpreet wants India to play more Tests, because it is a format they have shown to be good at in the last two years.
"When everything works together, you get positive results. Hopefully, we'll get many more Test games in upcoming years. Thanks to the crowd. Everything went well for us," she had said.
It is worth noting that England captain Heather Knight and Australia captain Alyssa Healy – despite their sides' defeats – also hoped for more matches, more than just one-off Tests without context. Knight and Healy both spoke about how just one Test leaves them with no chance of learning and adapting to conditions.
With the ever-growing popularity of the women's game in India, the fans have been craving for the female stars to play more cricket. With some of the biggest stars of world cricket in the Indian side, playing more than just the odd one-off Test would set the right precedent for the future generation.
And, as things have positively turned out for the women's team recently including equal pay, if the BCCI decides to schedule more Tests for Indian women, there could be a glimmer of hope.