Australia v India Test: All you need to know

Day-night Test facts 

Schedule

March 6-9: Test match, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)

How to watch or listen in Australia: Channel 7, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports, ABC radio

Live scores: Match Centre

Officials: Eloise Sheridan, Donovan Koch (standing), Claire Polosak (third), Kate Holloman (fourth), Kent Hannam (match referee) 

Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au and the CA Live app

Tickets: Ticketek 

Session times: First session: 1.20pm-3.20pm (4.20pm-6.20pm AEDT) | Second session: 4pm-6pm (7pm-9pm) | Third session: 6.20pm-8.20pm (9.20pm-11.20pm) 

The state of play in the multi-format series 

Australia are seeking an outright series win in the Test, having already retained the multi-format silverware following their sweep of the one-dayers.

The hosts were trailing 2-4 following their series defeat in the T20Is, but bounced back impressively to sweep the one-dayers.

They go into the Test leading 8-4. With four points on offer for a win in the Test, India can still draw the series - but Australia will keep the trophy, having won the last points-based series in 2021.

The squads

Australia: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Rachel Trenaman, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Australia have called Rachel Trenaman and Maitlan Brown into their injury-hit squad for the day-night Test, which will be Alyssa Healy's final game for Australia.

The uncapped pair will join their teammates in Perth this week, adding depth following the quad injuries to Garth and Ellyse Perry, and Sophie Molineux's back complaint.

Both Garth and Molineux have been ruled out of the Test, and Trenaman comes into an Australia squad for the first time as cover for Perry. Australia are hopeful Perry will recover from her quad strain to play in the Test, but if she does get up it will be as a specialist batter.

Brown meanwhile comes into an Australia squad for the first time since 2021. The 28-year-old is likely to find herself behind left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton in the battle for berths in the Australia XI, following the 19-year-old's ODI debut in Hobart on Sunday, but could offer a strong new-ball option if required.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare

Like Australia, India have been forced into a late change to their squad, with key pace bowler Renuka Thakur ruled out of the Test. A statement from the BCCI said, "to better manage her workload, Renuka has been advised rest and will be unavailable for selection". Uncapped quick Kashvee Gautam has been added to their squad.  

Meanwhile, opener Pratika Rawal is poised to make her Test debut, having been named in an India multi-day squad for the first time following her return from her World Cup-ending ankle injury. She is one of seven uncapped India players named for the day-night Test at the WACA Ground.

India's squad includes core batters Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh, alongside allrounder Deepti Sharma. They have also included a sprinkling of youth, with seven players yet to debut in the Test arena including 20-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who made her international debut last December.

Krant Gaud and Amanjot Kaur, both part of India's World Cup-winning ODI team, could also make their Test bows.

Form Guide

Past five matches, most recent first. W: win, L: loss, D: draw  

Australia: W W L W D 

Australia have won their two most recent Tests, against England at the MCG in January 2025, and against South Africa at the WACA Ground in February 2024.

Impressively, they won both encounters inside three days. Prior to that, they suffered a defeat to India at Wankhede in December 2023, the same year that they secured a fifth-day win over England at Trent Bridge. 

India: W W W D D

India won three Tests in a row between December 2023 and July 2024, defeating England, Australia and South Africa all on home soil.

They haven't played a Test since, while their two most recent overseas matches in the format ended in draws against England and Australia in 2021.  

The farewell

The WACA Test will be Australia captain Alyssa Healy's 299th and final international match. 

Cricket Australia has revealed the hill at the iconic venue has been renamed 'Healy Hill' for the duration of the match, with fans being encouraged to 'Fill the Hill' on day two in an initiative by CA and Westpac.

Last time they met

India created history at Wankhede Stadium in December 2023, clinching their first-ever Test victory over Australia by eight wickets shortly after lunch on the fourth and final day.

Alyssa Healy’s team were left to rue their below-par first innings of 219 all out after winning the toss and electing to bat at Wankhede, and India built a 187-run first-innings lead in response.

Having scrapped their way back into the game on day three, erasing that first-innings advantage, Australia were in a position to set a much larger total late in the day 3-206.

However, two wickets to India captain Harmanpreet Kaur before stumps, followed by a collapse of 5-28 on the morning of day four, left India requiring just 75 runs to secure the Test victory.

Head-to-head in Tests

Local knowledge

Annabel Sutherland will no doubt be eager for a return to Test cricket at the WACA Ground after scoring a double century against South Africa at the ground in early 2024.

That match, which was the most recent women's Test at the venue, was dominated by Australia who wrapped up victory inside three days.

After the Proteas were put into bat first on day one, Darcie Brown ran riot, taking 5-21 as South Africa were rolled for 76.

Sutherland's 210 led the way as Australia piled on 9d-575 in reply, while Alyssa Healy hit 99.

The Proteas put up more of a fight in their second dig, but could not force Australia to bat again as they were bowled out for 215, handing the Aussies victory by an innings and 284 runs. 

A decade earlier, Australia met England at the WACA back in 2014, when England won by 61 runs. Ellyse Perry was the only current Australian player to feature in that game – and it was a breakout match for the then 23-year-old allrounder.  

She took 3-41 as England were bowled out for 201 in their first innings, before top-scoring for the hosts batting at No.7, scoring 71 as they were dismissed for 207.  

Perry then picked up her first Test five-fa, taking 5-38 to help bowl the tourists out for 190, and while Australia fell short in their fourth-innings chase, Perry again top-scored with 31 as they were rolled for 123. 

How else can I follow along?

Cricket.com.au and the CA Live app will have live scores for every match as well as wicket replays to go with extended video highlights, reports and interviews from our reporters throughout the series.

Make sure you're following all the @auswomencricket and @cricketcomau social channels for extra interviews and behind-the-scenes action.

In exciting news, The Scoop Cricket Podcast has returned to eardrums all around the country after an almost two-year hiatus. 

Esteemed broadcaster Rana Hussain and star spinner Molly Strano are co-hosting the revamped show, and you can listen to the latest episode of the new season in the player below, or on your podcast platform of choice. Just search 'Scoop cricket'. 

The Scoop will be released every Wednesday morning throughout the blockbuster series, so remember to hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode. The show is also on the cricket.com.au YouTube channel. 

The forecast

It's going to be a hot one! The Western Australian capital will be dishing up sunny skies and high temperatures across the four days, with a top of 38 degrees Celsius expected for day one on Friday.

Saturday (35) and Sunday (32) will be similarly warm, while it is tipped to cool to 28 on Monday. 

Have Australia and India previously met in a multi-format series? 

Yes, they met on Australian soil in 2021, with the Aussies winning 11-5 after taking out the ODIs 2-1, the T20Is 2-0, while the Test was a draw.

Australia also travelled to India to play all formats in 2023-24, however each format was treated as a separate series and there was no overall trophy presented. If there was, Australia would have won the series 10-6 (India won the Test match while Australia won the ODIs 3-0 and the T20Is 2-1)

NRMA Insurance Australia v India Multi-Format Series

Australia lead the multi-format series 8-4

February 15: First T20: India won by 21 runs (DLS)

February 19: Second T20: Australia won by 19 runs

February 21: Third T20: India won by 17 runs

February 24: First ODI: Australia won by six wickets

February 27: Second ODI: Australia won by five wickets

March 1: Third ODI: Australia won by 185 runs

Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Rachel Trenaman, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

 

India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare

March 6-9: Test match, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)