On Thursday, December 14, India and England will play a one-off Test match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Since 2014, there hasn’t been a women’s Test match in India. In the match against South Africa, the only members of the current Indian squad were Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. Additionally, this will be India’s first Test match since Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj retired from the game. In 2021, India’s last Test match was held in Carrara against Australia. In the game with the pink ball, India was able to draw.
More recently, England has participated in Test cricket. They played Australia at Nottingham in June 2023 and lost by 89 runs. In the duel, Sophie Ecclestone and Tammy Beaumont had outstanding performances. In Test matches, the former made history as the first English woman to score two hundred and fifty. Conversely, Ecclestone amassed five runs in each of the two innings. They will be involved in Navi Mumbai in a significant way.
After winning the T20I series 2-1, England will go into this match. It must have instilled a great deal of confidence in Heather Knight and company before the much-awaited red-ball match.
Pitch Report for DY Patil Stadium
There haven’t yet been any Test matches held at DY Patil Stadium. It is anticipated that the pitch will not deviate significantly from those that are typically used around the nation. It could be a good idea to bat first for a few days, but as the game goes on, spinners will get more support and grow more proficient. England wouldn’t be too concerned if a rank-turner greeted the two sides because Ecclestone is one of their best spinners of the current age. In the subcontinent, batting in the fourth inning is a challenging undertaking; hence, the captain who wins the toss should choose to bat first.
ND-W vs. ENG-W: England Tour of India Probable Playing XI
India-W (IND)
It would be imperative for India that their seasoned team of Harmanpreet and Mandhana perform at their peak. Given her incredible form, Indian fans may expect a powerful performance from Jemimah Rodrigues. Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad will oversee the spin division.
Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, and Saika Ishaque are the predicted starting XI.
England-W (ENG)
Players from England’s excellent squad are able to adjust to a variety of playing conditions. Charlie Dean and Ecclestone, the spin bowling pair, will need to bowl a lot of overs. To watch how they enhance one another would be intriguing.
Emma Lamb, Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight (C), Amy Jones (WK), Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Lauren Bell, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt, and Amy Jones were the predicted starting lineup.
Only Test Head-to-Head Records: IND-W vs. ENG-W
Matches Played | 14 |
India women | 02 |
England women | 01 |
Draw | 11 |
First Meeting | 26 June, 1986 |
Last Meeting | 19 June, 2021 |
IND-W vs ENG-W Only Test Broadcast Details:
Date | Thursday, December 14 |
Timing | 09:30 AM (IST) |
Live Streaming | Jio Cinema, FanCode |
Live Broadcast | Sports18 Network |