india women vs australia women: India are batting at the WACA on day one of the one-off pink-ball Test as Australia prepare a farewell for captain Alyssa Healy. Play started at 12: 20am ET and India reached 8-0 after three overs with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma at the crease. A Test victory is India’s only path to levelling the multi-format series, and they are drawing belief from their recent T20 success.
Play summary — early session and debutants
India began under blue skies and a healthy wind, with Darcie Brown handing the new ball for Australia. The opening overs were short but sharp: after the first three overs India stood 8-0, Smriti Mandhana on 2 and Shafali Verma on 4. Brown’s seam movement tested the visitors immediately and a review from Australia was lost when a close lbw shout was shown to have hit an inside edge.
This india women vs australia women Test features multiple Test debuts. India handed caps to Kranti Gaud, Kashvee Gautam, Pratika Rawal and Sayali Satghare, while Australia blooded left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton. India’s eleven included Harmanpreet Kaur as captain with Richa Ghosh keeping and an attack that has not played a multi-day since their match in Chennai the previous year.
India Women Vs Australia Women: Reactions
Australia captain Alyssa Healy, preparing for a final Test outing, reflected on the toss decision: “I was torn but there was lots of grass on the surface yesterday. Harmanpreet would have fielded first too, ” Alyssa Healy, Australia captain, said as she led her side out to Healy Hill. Healy’s presence cast a clear celebratory edge over the contest: this marks her 299th match for Australia and a final farewell in whites for a player who has been a dominant force across formats.
India head coach Amol Muzumdar offered a calm, forward-looking read on his side’s mindset ahead of the first day: “The tour has been really good. We look at it as we won the T20 series, ” Amol Muzumdar, India head coach, said on the eve of the Test, stressing that the team was keen to take positives from the shorter-format success and convert them into patience and application in red-ball conditions.
What’s next — the road ahead in the one-off Test
Australia lead the multi-format series 8-4, so India must win this match to level the overall contest. The visitors will need to convert early starts into sustained sessions of pressure, and the inexperienced Indian pace unit will be tested on a ground known to assist seam. Expect a tactical battle as the pink ball swings into the evening session and Australia look to script a celebration for their departing captain while India chase the solitary path back to parity.
This india women vs australia women clash will be decided over the next sessions at the WACA; attention now turns to how both sides use their bowling resources and whether India can translate T20 confidence into four full days of Test cricket. Play continues into the evening with the second session set to shape the first half of this farewell Test.
