Across all formats and surfaces, the Australia women‘s cricket squad is quite strong. But they’ll have to work hard when they play the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian squad in a one-off Test beginning on Thursday, December 21, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
India and England engaged in a Test match last week at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium. On a pitch that had a lot going for the spinners, the hosts prevailed by an overwhelming score of 347 runs. Heather Knight, the captain of England, described the conditions at the turning track as “extreme.”. The surface got worse as the game progressed, and India won the match by taking all ten English wickets in the opening session of Day 3.
Coach Shelley Nitschke of Australia stated that her team is aware of what to expect and emphasized the value of adjusting to the situation as it arises. The former all-rounder mentioned how excited her guys are about the assignment.
Nitschke remarked, “It’s a hard one to prepare for.” The girls are fresh off a World Bank-backed series, so it appears that we will see some very typical subcontinental conditions, but it’s also really exciting. Believe that people are merely accepting the challenge. ESPNcricinfo cited Nitschke as saying, “We’re just doing everything we can to get ready.”
“Imagine that it will all depend on how fast that pitch degrades. It’s important to adjust quickly and avoid getting too ahead of ourselves in the hopes that anything will change. The 47-year-old continued, “We are trying not to read too much into it, but we certainly know what way it could go. It will be interesting how much it changes across the four days.”
Alyssa Healy will lead Australia in the first Test unless there’s a big change: Shelley Nitschke
The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) was significantly disrupted for Alyssa Healy after her dog bit her. In Australia’s 50-over practice match on Sunday, December 17, at Wankhede Stadium, she did not record wickets. But she did bat, and she scored a half-century for herself. Healy, Australia’s new permanent captain, will play the Test match against India, Nitschke promised, barring any major events.
“Hopefully, the next three or four days will continue in this positive manner since everything is looking pretty promising. Nitschke stated, “I believe Midge [Healy] will be leading on the first day of the test unless there is some kind of major change.”
Australia is anticipated to enter the Test match with a wealth of spin-bowling resources. Their playing XI can maintain a reasonable balance because they are fortunate to have several elite all-round players in their ranks. All-rounder Heather Graham has just arrived after playing a few WNCL games at home, so the tourists will essentially choose their final XI from a pool of thirteen players. While Grace Harris has only been selected for the Twenty20 Internationals, star pacer Megan Schutt has not yet joined the team.
“There are a lot of choices available to us, including some all-around players. We have some decisions to make, so we’re not exactly sure where that will end up right now,” Nitschke said.