Prominent Indian batswoman Smriti Mandhana voted in favor of the World Test Championship (WTC) for women. The vice captain of India is now preparing for the one-off Test match against England, which is set to take place on December 14 at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. This will be the host nation’s first Test match in the previous two years.
Although there isn’t a competition of this kind for women’s cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) started the first two-year cycle in men’s cricket in 2019–2021. It is important to note that women’s teams differ greatly in terms of playing Tests; only England, Australia, and India have participated in the longest format, and even then, not frequently.
“The Boards and the ICC will have to decide whether or not I can play in the World Test Championship, but I would really love to.” I’ve watched a lot of men’s Test cricket matches and championships, so I think watching the women’s WTC would be amazing. Prior to India’s training session on Tuesday, the 27-year-old told the reporters, “But as I said, that would be their (administrators’) decision.”
Tammy Beaumont, an experienced batter from England, disagreed with Smriti Mandhana, saying that the current imbalance in the number of matches played makes it an inappropriate moment for a women’s World T20. After a six-month sabbatical, England returned to Test action in the Women’s Ashes, where they were defeated by Australia by 89 runs.
To be honest, I don’t think this is the perfect moment. There are currently only three or four countries that routinely play Test matches in cricket, and there may only be three or four governing bodies that can afford to stage Test matches for women. The ICC will need to make a significant investment, and Beaumont doubts that they will be willing to make it.