AUSW vs INDW | Day-night Test: Mithali's women brace for unknown challenge against formidable Aussies
The Day-night Test has been gaining prominence for quite some time now and the Indian women’s team will have their first experience of playing a pink-ball Test in Australia. The two sides will be up against each other in the longer format after almost 15 years when they take the field on Thursday (September 30, 2021) in Queensland. India would be playing their second Test of the year as they last faced England in Bristol, a match that ended in a draw. Sneh Rana’s fighting 80* helped India save the game that could have had a different result which wouldn’t have been in the visitors’ favour. Australia on the other side, haven’t played a Test since the 2019 Ashes. Match Details Match: AUSW vs INDW, Only Test, India Women tour of Australia, 2021 Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021 - Sunday, October 03, 2021 Time: 10:00 AM (Sep 30) Venue: Carrara Oval, Queensland Pitch Report The pitch might have something on offer for the fast bowlers as some grass is expected on the track. Moreover, there is a forecast of showers on the first two days as well. The batters might find it difficult in the initial phase of the innings. So, if you win the toss, elect to field first. Team News India: Batter Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out of the Test as she is still recovering from thumb injury. The right-hander also missed the three-match ODI series against the Australian side earlier. Australia: Haynes will miss the Test after she sustained a hamstring injury. As there is a prediction of rain during the game, Meg Lanning has said that the side is not really focusing on it. "There's some weather around but we are focusing on what we can control. Sounds like there's a decent storm coming but we'll just play with what we've got and hopefully, we don't lose too much time,” she said. Probable XI India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey Australia: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (wk), Meg Lanning (captain), Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, Hannah Darlington, Darcie Brown Fantasy XI Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry (C), Tahila McGrath, Pooja Vastrakar, Sophie Molineux, Darcie Brown, Jhulan Goswami (VC)