Two exciting matches involving the “Big Three” teams have increased the desire for more women’s test matches, according to a cricket administrator.
Women’s test matches have always been rare, with only 147 played in the nearly 90 years since the first match between England and Australia. The dominance of white-ball cricket has made them even scarcer.
For the past nine years, India had not hosted any test matches, reflecting the fact that one-off tests are usually only included in multi-format bilateral series.
However, India’s recent victories against England and Australia in December have reignited interest in women’s test matches in the country, which is a financial powerhouse in cricket.
India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, expressed hope that the new generation of players will have more opportunities to play test matches after the recent wins.
Kaur, known for her power-hitting and aggressive style, has only played five test matches in her 14-year international career.
Heather Knight, the English captain, also expressed a desire for women’s test cricket to flourish, stating that players feel like they are fighting for the format when they play test matches.
Australia’s captain, Alyssa Healy, called for test series rather than one-off games, despite Australia’s loss to India in a recent test match at Wankhede Stadium.
Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has voiced his support for women’s test matches, advocating for three-test series against teams like England and India.
Hockley sees the sense in incorporating more test cricket as part of multi-format series in the future, possibly considering key marquee series to have three test matches.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Nick Mulvenney and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
