MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday announced that the WACA Ground will host the second-ever women’s day-night Test match when Australia take on India in a multi-format series to kick off the 2021-22 international summer of cricket.
The historic Test match will be the first between the Australian and Indian women’s teams in 15 years, and India’s first-ever women’s day-night Test. The series will also be the first time the two sides meet since the record-breaking ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final at the MCG in 2020.
Following the announcement of the men’s and women’s Ashes and the historic first men’s Test against Afghanistan, the 2021-22 season will feature eight Test matches across seven states and territories in what promises to be an epic summer.
Meg Lanning’s side will also take on India in three ODIs at North Sydney Oval (September 19) and the Junction Oval (September 22 & 24) to open the summer before the standalone Test match at the WACA Ground (September 30-October 3).
India’s tour will conclude with three T20Is at North Sydney Oval (Oct 7, 9 & 11), with the Australia team set to break for the WBBL before the Women’s Ashes series.
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the tours of Australia’s greatest rivals, India and England, for separate multi-format tours this summer,” Hockley said. “The Australian women’s team has gone from strength to strength since their record-breaking T20 World Cup win at the MCG, including extending their record unbeaten ODI streak to 24 matches, and these series will provide yet another great challenge for Meg Lanning’s squad.
“There is no doubt that T20 cricket has been, and will continue to be, a key driver of growth for women’s cricket globally. That said, it is a testament to how far the game has come that we are in a position to host two women’s Test matches against the might of India and England, which we know will prove popular with cricket-lovers right around the world.
“The men’s Test series against India last season was an extremely competitive series that came down to the wire and we have no doubt that this women’s multi-format series will be just as hard-fought. We look forward to welcoming members of the India women’s team to Australia after what has been an incredibly challenging time and thank the BCCI for supporting this ground-breaking tour.”
The Australian women’s team played its first-ever Test match against India at Perth’s Hale School in 1977.
The match, won by the Margaret Jennings-led Australians by 147 runs, was just the eighth Test match ever played by the Indian women’s team and only their second overseas.
The day-night Test at the WACA ground will be the fifth women’s Test played in Perth and the tenth contested by the Australian and Indian teams. (Agency)
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