India is set to play a one-time Test match against South Africa after winning two consecutive series in shorter formats of the game – first in T20Is in Bangladesh and then in ODIs at home against South Africa. Despite these victories, India’s head coach, Amol Muzumdar, thinks there’s room for improvement in all areas of the game. He also supports the idea of a Women’s Test Championship, believing it could help the format. “We have the momentum from our wins in Bangladesh and against South Africa,” Muzumdar mentioned, just two days before the Test in Chennai. “While the formats are different, we focus on each game separately. Playing a Test has different requirements, but I believe the team is ready. We can always get better in batting, bowling, fielding, and fitness. A World Test Championship isn’t a bad idea, but it’s up to the board [ICC] to decide. If it happens, it would be good for the game.”
Not long ago, Indian women didn’t play much red-ball cricket because the women’s cricket schedule didn’t include many red-ball games. But now, the BCCI, which controls cricket in India, is purposely setting up red-ball matches for the women’s team and has started a multi-day domestic tournament between different zones. Muzumdar said, “In December, we had two Test matches in a row against England and Australia.” He added, “We know that red-ball cricket will be very important for women’s cricket in the future. The inter-zonal tournament in March and April showed that we’re serious about both white-ball and red-ball cricket. The players know this, are ready for it, and are excited to play multi-day games. Getting used to this format is what modern cricket needs, and we’re ready to meet this challenge.”
The main group of players stays the same for all types of games, but Shubha Satheesh, Sneh Rana, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Meghna Singh, who didn’t play in the one-day matches, will be added for the longer game.
Muzumdar mentioned, “These four players are really important. We had a training session at the NCA around two weeks ago, which was all about getting ready for the red ball game. They’ve already handled their training load and had special tasks to do at home. Their training plan for each week was set up and given to them. They are feeling good and prepared to play.”
