Australia have won the toss and opted to field first in the one-off Test against India at the WACA Stadium in Perth. Legendary cricketer Alyssa Healy is set to play her final international game as Australia look to seal the series, having an 8-4 lead before the start of the match. On the other hand, India have handed Test debut to four cricketers. Pratika Rawal, who was terrific in the Womenโs ODI World Cup, has been handed the Test cap, alongside Kranti Gaud, Kashvee Gautam and Sayali Satghare.
India will come to the contest on the back of three back-to-back Test wins, including one over Australia in 2023. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side played their last red-ball against South Africa in 2024. From that squad, Shubha Satheesh has been replaced by Pratika, while the entire bowling unit has been replaced, barring Sheh Rana. In the clash against South Africa in Chennai, the likes of Renuka Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Pooja Vastrakar were part of the XI, who are now axed.
Ellyse Perry fit to play
Elysse Perryโs fitness was a major concern for Australia. The veteran missed the ODI series but fortunately, recovered in time for the one-off Test. She has been slotted at number three, with Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll set to open. Meanwhile, reflecting on playing her final international game, Healy revealed that it hasnโt quite sinked in just yet.
โNo, I havenโt yet. I probably havenโt let myself just yet. Iโve still got four more days of competitive cricket to go, and we love playing against India, so thatโs good fun. But Iโve got lots of friends and family that have come over, lots of people sending through messages, so I will say thank you very much for that. But four days left of competitive cricket and then Iโll let it in,โ Healy said.
India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Sayali Satghare, Kranti Gaud
Australia Women (Playing XI): Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy (c), Annabel Sutherland, Beth Mooney (wk), Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Lucy Hamilton, Darcie Brown
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