India Women to play maiden pink-ball Test in Australia

Monday, 24 May 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

India Women will play their first-ever pink-ball day-night Test match at the WACA during their tour of Australia in September.

India’s tour Down Under will commence with a three-match ODI series between 19-24 September. The one-off day-night Test will soon follow suit (30 September-3 October) and the tour will conclude with a three-match T20I series (7-11 October). This will their first Test match Down Under since the Adelaide Test in 2006.

The news was confirmed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah on his Twitter handle. “Taking forward our commitment towards women’s cricket, I am extremely pleased to announce that Team India @BCCIwomen will play in their first-ever pink ball day-night Test later this year in Australia,” Shah tweeted.

The match will also be the second day-night Test with a pink ball in women’s cricket history after the drawn contest between Australia and England in Sydney in 2017.

Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO Nick Hockley said: “The men’s Test series against India last season was an extremely competitive series that came down to the wire and we have no doubt that this women’s multi-format series will be just as hard-fought.

“We look forward to welcoming members of the India women’s team to Australia after what has been an incredibly challenging time and thank the BCCI for supporting this ground-breaking tour.”

It will be the first time since 2014 that the Mithali Raj-led side will be competing in two Test matches in a calendar year. They are scheduled to play a one-off Test against England in Bristol, starting from 16 June. The tour of England will also consist of a three-match ODI and T20I series. The Test against England will be India Women’s first since their victory against South Africa in Mysore in November 2014.