India have a 15-member squad for the one-off Test against England starting at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. And the combined number of Tests they have played is 17. And seven of the squad have never donned the whites for the senior India team.
The match comes four days after the T20I series between the teams. It’ll be India’s first Test in over two years and their first at home since 2014. The last time they hosted England in a Test was back in 2005. It’s fair to say skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's team has a daunting task ahead. As promising as the India squad may be, the players switching to a format they have precious little experience of will require a special effort.
In a press conference on Wednesday, the India captain admitted it would not be easy playing a four-day Test after such a long gap.
“Playing with the red ball will be challenging after all the limited overs cricket, but our bowlers have had 10-15 days to understand how the red ball behaves. We have tried as much as we could to prepare and now it’s about playing positive cricket,” said Harmanpreet.
“We spoke in the team meeting as well that it’s all a mind game, how we prepare mentally rather than think about how long it’s been since we played a Test. Just the ball has changed, the approach will be the same. We could have attacking bowling or field placements, but it’s about handling situations and winning sessions. We’ve spoken about all these things, and hopefully we can execute whatever we’ve prepared over the last couple of days.”
{{/usCountry}}“We spoke in the team meeting as well that it’s all a mind game, how we prepare mentally rather than think about how long it’s been since we played a Test. Just the ball has changed, the approach will be the same. We could have attacking bowling or field placements, but it’s about handling situations and winning sessions. We’ve spoken about all these things, and hopefully we can execute whatever we’ve prepared over the last couple of days.”
{{/usCountry}}With four matches, opener Smriti Mandhana is the most experienced Test player in India’s ranks. However, in terms of overall international experience, the hosts have number of players who have proved themselves at the highest level. Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues will be expected to take responsibility with the bat while Renuka Singh’s ability to swing the ball will be counted on.
Harmanpreet said because the squad hasn’t had much time to train with the red ball, the key will be to keep things simple and focus on the basics.
“At the end of the day, it’s about keeping a positive mindset,” said the 34-year-old. “The batters have to watch the ball closely and the bowlers have to hit the good areas. All that remains the same in cricket. The only thing is that the colour of the ball changes and we play in whites. As a cricketer, you have an emotional attachment with the whites. So, we want to move forward with this excitement rather than think about what could or should have happened. We’re all keen to grab this opportunity.”
A day earlier, Mandhana had said it would be exciting to have a women’s World Test Championship. Harmanpreet added that more red-ball contests could also elevate the quality of games in the shorter formats.
“According to me, there should be more Test matches. One can improve their skills that way because there’s so much white-ball cricket happening and we aren’t getting to see too many skills. The bowlers are defensive and we don’t get to see the aggressive skills that we should,” said Harmanpreet.
India are undergoing transition at the moment with a new coaching staff and many fresh faces in the squad, and it can make competing in a one-off Test all the more challenging. Harmanpreet said that new head coach Amol Muzumdar has given players space to adapt to the changes.
“He has a lot of experience, not just as a player but as a coach as well. He’s tried to clear a lot of things and define roles for the players since he’s come. I know he only had 10-12 days with the team before the start of the T20I series. At times, a new coach tries to change a lot of things, but he hasn’t done that and has asked players to stick to their strengths. He’s always there for us if we need any inputs,” said Harmanpreet.
England have played 14 Tests against India, winning only once with 11 games drawn. India have won two. But unlike India, Heather Knight's side have played three Tests since the beginning of 2022. They lost to Australia in June, which was a close contest that saw Tammy Beaumont hit a double century and Sophie Ecclestone pick five-fors in both innings. Both these players, along with all-rounder Natalie Sciver Brunt, remain vital cogs in the side.
“Playing a Test sort of recently has certainly helped us, it’s something to reference and learn from,” said Knight. “It’s interesting that you play one Test in a year and everyone has that learning mindset as you prepare. I’ve played for England for a long time (13 years) and this is going to be my 12th Test. So, I’m relatively young in terms of Test cricket. So, you try to have an open mindset and try to learn when you get an opportunity.”