BCCI and Cricket Australia have announced on Thursday that India will play its maiden day-night Test against Australia at the WACA in Perth later this year. Meanwhile, former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy has suggested that the BCCI should host a domestic tournament for the Indian team with the pink ball before the day-night Test in Australia.
She told the cricket board to organise a domestic pink-ball tournament before they head to Australia to play the historic Test, beginning September 30. “As the Indian women don’t play even red-ball cricket in the domestic circuit, it is advisable for the BCCI to conduct a pink ball tournament in India before our women embark on the journey to Australia,” Rangaswamy said to PTI.
Shantha Rangaswamy has again suggested to the BCCI to send a team to Sri Lanka, just like the men’s cricket team will tour the island for the limited-overs series.
“It is nice to know the Indian men’s team will be playing in Sri Lanka. It will be good if a women’s team is also sent to Sri Lanka. This will be a good way of increasing the standard of the bench strength. I’m making these suggestions as a former cricketer,” she again added.
“The BCCI has been planning on certain tournaments for women cricketers in the last one year. However, time and again its plans have gone haywire because of the pandemic. It is heartening to note that the Board has planned a Test during Indian women’s tour of England. I firmly believe the ultimate barometer is the longest format. To add to this, the BCCI has today announced a day-night pink ball test at WACA during our women’s team tour of Australia later this year. It is to be highly appreciated,” Shantha Rangaswamy again shared.
Notably, the historic Test is going to be the first between Australia and India in 15 years as well. On the other hand, with this series both Australia and India will take on each other for the first time after they met in the record-breaking ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final at the MCG in 2020 as well.
