Team India is all set to play its maiden pink-ball day-night Test against Australia later this year. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has confirmed the news on Thursday. He has said that the Indian team will compete in its maiden day-night Test when it tours Australia later this year.
The pink ball Test between India and Australia will be only the second such match to be held in the history of women’s cricket. While the dates of the tour are yet to be announced, it is likely to be in mid-September. The only day-night women’s game was played between Australia and England in Sydney back in November 2017.
The match will take place in Perth, which hasn’t hosted a day-night game as yet, Cricket Australia said after BCCI secretary Jay Shah made the initial announcement. “Taking forward our commitment towards women’s cricket, I am extremely pleased to announce that Team India BCCI women will play in their first-ever pink ball day-night Test later this year in Australia,” Shah tweeted.
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.
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) May 20, 2021
“As players, we’ve said for a long time that we’d love to play more Test matches,” Australia captain Meg Lanning said on Wednesday. “It’s an exciting prospect and I know (India) are heading over to England to play a Test match pretty soon so it shows they’re up for the challenge and really willing to play that format.”
However, history will be made at the WACA Ground this year when the first-ever day-night women’s Test match between the Australian team and the Indian team is played. Beginning on September 30, the fixture will be the first four-day game between the two sides in 15 years. The day-night Test at the WACA Ground will be the fifth women’s Test played in Perth and the 10th contested by the Australian and Indian teams. And Australia and India have not met since the record-breaking ICC T20 World Cup final at the MCG on March 8, 2020.
Meanwhile, WACA chief executive Christina Matthews said that she was excited to see international cricket return to WA after missing out last summer. “Any international cricket at the WACA Ground is greatly appreciated and for it to be only the second day-night game in women’s Test cricket is fantastic, Hopefully, this will demonstrate to Cricket Australia that this is a ground they should use more often for these events,” Matthews said.
“We are thrilled to be hosting India at the WACA Ground under lights. India is such an entertaining side to watch, we got to see them here last here year during the T20 World Cup and I can guarantee West Aussie’s will be in for an exciting match. The WACA Ground has a rich history and this match will be another great iconic moment to add to that, it will show the world how important the Ground still is to international cricket,” Matthews further added.
FIXTURE AUSTRALIA VS INDIA:
Sep 19: First ODI, North Sydney Oval (D/N)
Sep 22: Second ODI, Junction Oval
Sep 24: Third ODI, Junction Oval
Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, WACA Ground (D/N)
Oct 7: First T20, North Sydney Oval
Oct 9: Second T20, North Sydney Oval
Oct 11: Third T20, North Sydney Oval
