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India women vs England women: Mithali's bench ready to make mark in historic one-off Test

A favourable record in England and "positive mindset" despite inadequate preparation will spur India women's cricket team when it face hosts in its first Test in nearly seven years from Wednesday.

Indian team members training (Pic: BCCI)

Bristol, June 15: A favourable record in England and "positive mindset" despite inadequate preparation time will spur the India women's cricket team when it takes on the seasoned hosts in its first Test engagement in nearly seven years here from Wednesday (June 16).

After multiple quarantines in India and UK, the Mithali Raj-led squad got little over a week to prepare for its first red ball game since November 2014. Mithali was among the seven current players, who were a part of that victorious eleven against South Africa in Mysuru.

While experienced players like the skipper, her deputy Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Jhulan Goswami have not played red ball cricket at all in recent times, it will be an even tougher test for the younger lot who don't get to play first-class matches in domestic cricket.

Unlike the men's squad, which played intra-squad games in Southampton ahead of the WTC final, the women prepared only in the nets which might hurt them in the four-day game.

Harmanpreet has already conceded they got limited time to get ready for the one-off Test but said India go into the game "mentally prepared", having got some valuable advice from men's team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane.

There is a good chance that 17-year-old batting sensation Shafali Verma opens in the game alongside Smriti Mandhana. She goes into the game with no baggage and could well make a big impact at the top of the order. The experienced trio of Mithali, Harmanpreet and Punam Raut will be expected to do the job in what will be challenging conditions.

There could be some respite in store for the batters with England choosing Kookaburra over Dukes ball, which does more, for the game as the home team builds up to the Ashes Test against Australia. It also remains to be seen if veteran pacers Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey would be able to bowl long spells, having not done so for a long time.

The spinners, who had a forgettable time at home in the limited overs series against South Africa, would be itching to make amends. The visitors can surely take heart from their past record in England where they have not lost in eight games, having won two out of them.

England's star all-rounder and newly-appointed vice captain Nat Sciver is among the six squad members who played in their last Test match against India back in August 2014. The tourists had won that game in Wormsley by six wickets.

Squads: India: 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, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav.

England: Heather Knight (captain), Emily Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vice-captain), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield-Hill.

Story first published: Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 15:17 [IST]
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