India inspired by T20 success to salvage series with Test

India have cast off their three-nil whitewash by Australia in the ODI leg of the multi-format series and are instead channelling their success in the T20Is last month as they prepare for the one-off Test in Perth.

On the line is the chance to return home with pride, but that's the best they can take with them as the home side has already retained the trophy it won in 2021 by taking an 8-4 lead after the limited overs fixtures.

Only a win in the day-night Test at the WACA will do the trick for them, and to bowl Australia out twice they must iron out the blemishes that hindered the new 50-over world champions in the three ODIs last week.

Head coach Amol Muzumdar has backed his side to do just that, stressing that the spirit within the group hasn't taken a hit after the drubbing that followed their 2-1 win in the T20I leg of the series.

"The tour has been really good," Muzumdar said on the eve of the Test. "We look at it as we won the T20 series."

"We've lost the ODI series, but we will take a lot of positives out of this series.

"(We are) extremely happy with what the squad has done on this tour.

"Not many teams have come here and won a T20 series in Australia."

Alongside the T20I series win, India are also deriving confidence from the fact that they had recorded a dominant win over Australia the last time the two sides met in a multi-day game.

The replays of that 2023 match in Mumbai have been running on the team's screens coming into Perth to revive the pleasant memories, while the backdoor staff has been compiling data and intel from the game, Mazumdar revealed.

That game was the second of the three victories the Indians have enjoyed in their last three Tests. However, all three of those came at home.

The conditions at the WACA are, however, going to be considerably different to that at the Wankhede stadium, where over 75 per cent of the overs across both Australian batting innings were bowled by Indian spinners.

Whether the inexperienced Indian fast-bowling unit can make the most of the conditions at the venue known to assist seam bowlers could significantly impact the game's outcome.

Mazumdar has backed Sayali Satghare, who has joined the Indian side after the limited overs components of the series, as well as late inclusion Kashvee Gautam to rise to the occasion after the leader of their attack, Renuka Singh Thakur, was ruled out of the match.

While India's strong record is in the format – only one loss in last 17 matches – will be a morale booster for the side, they haven't played a Test since mid-2024.

The coach is confident his players can make the necessary adjustments to their game for the longer format, dubbing it as a requirement of modern-day professional cricketing calendar.

He was also unequivocal about the value his side ascribes to the format.

"We have always maintained in the group that Test matches are the real format," he said.

"We are really excited to play a Test match … here in Perth, and then in four months' time, I think, we'll be playing a Test match at Lord's.

"I'm sure everyone's looking forward to it."

While the rarity of a Test match in the women's game itself makes them a special occasion, the points-system of the multi-format series has brought it in an added significance, with the result of series able to be altered with its outcome.

"To play a Test match, something in the whites, it's special," Mazumdar said. "And if you can manage to do it (draw the series), it will be even more special."

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)