Quite excited about playing Test cricket again, says Mithali
Jun 02, 2021
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 2 : India Test and ODI skipper Mithali Raj has said that she is really excited to be playing a Test match against England in June this year.
After a span of seven years, Indian women will play their first Test against England in June. Later this year, India will also lock horns against Australia in a day-night Test which will be played at the WACA, Perth.
"I was a part of the 2014 Test match in England, it has been some time for the players who were a part of that particular match. We have some new players in the squad and I am quite excited about playing a Test match. Leading the side which has some players who will play the Test match for the first time, it is a different experience. It is one of the oldest formats of the sport, all of us are excited to play against a strong England side," said Mithali in a video posted on the official website of BCCI.
When senior pro-Jhulan Goswami was asked about playing Test matches, she said: "When you are representing your country, you want to do extra and you want to contribute to your team. After seven years, we are going to play Test cricket. As a bowler, you have to bowl long spells."
The women's team will take on England in a one-off Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is. The two teams will first square off in a four-day Test match, beginning June 16.
Then both teams will lock horns in three ODIs beginning June 27 with the matches slated to be played at Bristol, Taunton, and Worcester. Both teams will then square off in three T20Is, beginning July 9 and the three matches will be played at Northampton, Hove, and Chelmsford.
The third T20I between England Women and India Women, which was slated for July 15, will now be held a day before in Chelmsford. The match will now be held on July 14 instead of July 15 due to broadcasting issues.
India's Senior Women squad for Test & ODI: Mithali Raj (Captain), Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Punam Raut, Priya Punia, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Indrani Roy (wicket-keeper), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav.
India's Senior Women squad for T20I: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain) Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Indrani Roy (wicket-keeper), Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav, Simaran Dil Bahadur.