A gritty, usually dominant, efficiency in Mumbai noticed India register their first-ever win in girls’s Check cricket historical past over Australia on Sunday. That India and Australia had performed 10 Check matches ranging from 1977 earlier than this fixture tells one of many paucity of longer-format matches, particularly in latest occasions. Australia had received 4 and drawn six earlier than this sport.
As of now, solely India, England, and Australia play Check cricket considerably commonly within the girls’s sport. Contemplating outcomes since 2021, there’s a good case to be made that India are made for this format and probably one of the best at it. Statistically, they’re unbeaten in girls’s Checks since 2006 however extra considerably, they haven’t misplaced any of the 4 matches they’ve performed in just a little over two years since returning to the format.
England vs India, Bristol, June 2021
India conceded 396 to England however responded strongly with an outstanding 167-run opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. However after a surprising collapse to be all out for 231, they have been made to comply with on. The guests have been as soon as once more in a precarious place at 199/7 however an Eighth-wicket rearguard between Sneh Rana (80*) and Taniya Bhatia (44*) noticed India earn a combating draw.
Australia vs India, Carrara, September 2021
Of their first pink-ball Check, India have been off to a flier because of a high quality century by Smriti Mandhana. With rain washing out massive chunks of the primary two days, the match was already destined for a draw. However Jhulan Goswami’s excellent bowling, aided by Meghna Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, did have Australia beneath just a little little bit of strain. To India’s credit score, they by no means actually let Australia into the sport as they earned a draw.
India vs England, Navi Mumbai, December 2023
Of their first Check at dwelling in 9 years, India rode on a superb first-innings batting show – their second-highest whole within the format – to place England behind the eight ball from the phrase go. Half-centuries for Shubha Satheesh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia and Deepti Sharma noticed India publish 428. A shocking 50-minute batting collapse triggered by Deepti noticed England fold for 136 of their first innings. India then set the guests a goal of 479, which Heather Knight and Co fell effectively in need of. India received by 347 runs for the largest victory margin in girls’s Check historical past.
The way forward for girls’s Checks
After two memorable wins towards England and Australia, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was gushing within the post-match presentation on Sunday. She thanked the BCCI for bringing again dwelling Checks, and added that she’d be completely happy to play extra. Sadly, within the Future Excursions Programme that has been finalised by ICC until April 2025, Indian girls aren’t scheduled to play any extra Check matches. It isn’t shocking per se that Harmanpreet needs India to play extra Checks, as a result of it’s a format they’ve proven to be actually good at within the final two years. It’s price noting that England captain Heather Knight and Australia captain Alyssa Healy – regardless of their sides’ defeats – advocated for extra matches, extra than simply one-off Checks with out context. Knight and Healy each spoke about how only one Check leaves them with no likelihood of studying and adapting to situations. Certainly, Australia confirmed that they have been enhancing with each subsequent day of the Check. “We might like to see increasingly and I feel it could create an actual contest over three video games, however the nature of the feminine sport in the meanwhile is it is very white-ball-dominant,” Healy mentioned. As issues stand, Australia are scheduled to play two extra Checks subsequent 12 months – at dwelling towards South Africa and England. Each of these would doubtless be within the multi-format factors system that we see in girls’s Ashes, the place every match would rely in the direction of a remaining tally. However the girls’s sport largely stays white-ball dominant, till extra groups begin enjoying at the very least a Check or two in a 12 months, it is tough to see a long-term future for the format. If the BCCI decides to make it a precedence although, ensuring any visiting workforce performs a Check throughout a tour, there may very well be a glimmer of hope.
India vs Australia, Mumbai, December 2023
Within the first India vs Australia girls’s Check on these shores in 40 years, Harmanpreet and Co misplaced the toss however grabbed the initiative with the ball early on Day 1 that might grow to be decisive. A world-class batting line-up was bowled out for 219 and India have been off to a flier of their first innings to take a commanding place. Australia, the champion facet that they’re, saved combating again however India responded to strain effectively to finally win the match on the ultimate day by 8 wickets.