On the opening day of the one-off Test between India women and England women at the DY Patil Sports Academy, captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat. This crucial four-day Test holds significance for both teams, with England eager to break their winless streak in Tests since 2014, while India is playing their first home Test in nine years. The Indian playing XI introduced new faces to the format, as Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shubha Satheesh received their Test debut caps.
The anticipation for victory is high on both sides, and England captain Heather Knight expressed the team’s strong desire to end their winless run before heading home. Cricket enthusiasts are eagerly following live updates from the DY Patil Sports Academy to witness the unfolding drama and pivotal moments in this historic clash between India and England in women’s Test cricket.
“I am desperate to win a Test match. It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve done that as an England side. It’ll be a great finish if we end with a win in the Test. It was so pleasing- the T20 series win. With the T20 World Cup coming up, it feels like we’re in a really good place. It gave our youngsters some time in conditions they’re not otherwise too used to. Playing cricket out here in the heat and humidity is not easy. We’re going to have to play really well. It’ll be satisfying to have a good four days and then wind up with a win and head home for Christmas,” Heather stated on the eve of the clash in the pre-match press conference.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the India women’s team, remained tight-lipped about the specific combination her team might adopt for the four-day Test against England. While discussing the team’s strategy, she chose not to reveal the exact playing combination, keeping it under wraps.
“It is a four-day game. So even if you have to bowl for two days, you have to look at who can bowl for two days and who are those batters who can bat for long,” India captain Harmanpreet stated.
“If we look at the pitch and decide the combination, it will be different but if we look at our strengths, it will be a different combination. I would like to go with our strengths,” she attached.
India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia(w), Sneh Rana, Shubha Satheesh, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Thakur Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
England Women (Playing XI): Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley, Heather Knight(c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danielle Wyatt, Amy Jones (w), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlotte Dean, Kate Cross, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell.
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