In a thrilling encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, Australia Women’s captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and opted to bat first in the solitary Test of the multi-format series against India Women on Thursday.
Debut Test caps were handed out by both teams, adding an extra layer of excitement to the match. India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana presented the coveted Test cap to wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh. Notably, Richa, showcasing her versatility by also bowling medium pace, became the 94th player to represent India in Tests. She stepped in for the injured Shubha Satheesh, who faced a fracture and dislocation in her hand during the previous Test against England.
On the Australian side, left-arm pacer Lauren Cheatle received her Test debut, replacing Darcie Brown, who is sidelined for this match.
The playing XIs for the encounter are as follows:
India Women:
- Smriti Mandhana
- Shafali Verma
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Harmanpreet Kaur (c)
- Yastika Bhatia (wk)
- Richa Ghosh
- Deepti Sharma
- Sneh Rana
- Pooja Vastrakar
- Rajeshwari Gayakwad
- Renuka Singh
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Australia Women:
- Beth Mooney
- Phoebe Litchfield
- Ellyse Perry
- Tahlia McGrath
- Alyssa Healy (c & wk)
- Annabel Sutherland
- Ash Gardner
- Jess Jonassen
- Alana King
- Kim Garth
- Lauren Cheatle
As the teams showcase their prowess, the Wankhede Stadium stands witness to a clash of cricketing titans, with fresh talent taking center stage in the grand arena.
-IANS