With Tests to resume, is it time for a new trophy?

The resumption of women's Test matches between Australia and India after a 15-year hiatus could pave the way for a broader global discussion on women's scheduling as well as a push for a perpetual trophy to honour the strong historical bond between the two nations.

Former Australia representative Mel Jones, now Cricket Australia director and newly elected member of the ICC's Women's Cricket Committee, welcomed Thursday's confirmation the first Test between Australia and India since 2006 will be staged at the WACA Ground in Perth from September 30.

But Jones believes that of equal or greater significance is the completion of a women's international schedule for the coming summer that includes two Tests (against India and England) given the paucity of the long-form game in women's programming over past decades.

Since the most recent three-Test Ashes series was staged between Australia and England in the UK in 1998, only 32 Test matches have been contested around the world with powerhouse outfit New Zealand's most recent Test coming on their 2004 tour of England.

That lack of four-day fixturing (as women's Tests remain) saw players such as Australia's Alyssa Healy proclaim she never thought she'd experience a two-Test summer in her playing days, and prompted a similar reaction from Jones even though she was part of CA's planning.

"I was involved in it all, and I'm still pinching myself," Jones said today of the schedule that sees Australia's women's team drawn to play two Tests – as well as six ODIs and six T20Is against India and England – for the first time in a home summer since 2002-03.

"It's been an ongoing conversation across every woman cricketer, across every country for so many years, to play more Test matches.

"You speak to the Kiwis and they're just dying for it, the fact that players like (White Ferns' stars) Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates have never played one, and we've got this wonderful Ashes format that allows us to play one every two years.

"To all of a sudden have two in the format next summer, it reinvigorates your hopes and dreams.

"I know there was a massive focus on the importance of T20 cricket for the marketing of the women's game a number years ago, but the benefit of that investment now allows us to re-think what the game can look like."

Image Id: F9CAF09BE68D40BABA8EF87C6689FC04 Image Caption: Jones in 2003 playing in one of her five Tests // Getty

It is not yet known whether the block of three ODIs (at North Sydney and Junction Ovals), Test match (WACA) and three T20Is (North Sydney) against India will carry the same cumulative points system as the women's Ashes have since 2013.

However, Jones believes the multi-format concept offers an opportunity to consider the introduction of a perpetual trophy for Australia-India women's contests in the same way the nations' men's teams do battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The first women's international between the teams was a one-off Test at the WACA in January 1977 (which Australia won by 147 runs) and their inaugural limited-overs meeting came at the women's World Cup held in India the following year where the hosts lost by 71 runs at Patna.

Image Id: B6233368A7364F01962A2DF528ED447A Image Caption: Virat Kohli and Tim Paine with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy // Getty

Australia was captained in both those historic matches by opener-keeper Marg Jennings, while India's skippers were Shantha Rangaswamy in the maiden Test and Diana Edulji at the World Cup which Australia ultimately won.

Others whose names might be considered for a trophy include Mithali Raj who led India in that most recent Australia Test in 2006 (and remains India's ODI captain) and Lisa Sthalekar, player of the match at Adelaide Oval 15 years ago with a game-high score of 72 and 5-30 in India's second innings.

Jones said the striking of a perpetual prize would enable the 45-year history of women's cricket between the countries to be celebrated but suggested the name(s) adorning any trophy might best be decided by public input via social media.

"This is why we love the game of cricket, because of the history attached to it," she told cricket.com.au.

"Both the men's and women's games have got these magnificent storylines behind their Ashes trophies, and maybe we can create one just as special that is being talked about in 100 years' time with the same sort of reverence as the Ashes.

"To tell the story of the history of the game between the two countries and who's involved, that would be magnificent.

Image Id: 5F884CBDDB0E48F3AD8907174CF3D1E3 Image Caption: Sthalekar in 2006 // Getty

"To talk about Sanath Ragaswamy and Marg Jennings and all those players from that first Test in Perth, to get those to the forefront again would be wonderful.

"It's certainly great to have something like the Border-Gavaskar, but that's the men's lens of what's happened in the past.

"So we should just do it our way for the women's game, and maybe we can come up with something a little bit different."

Jones suggested the first step might be having a suitable trophy design endorsed, and then using the upcoming India tour to Australia as well as any reciprocal visit by Meg Lanning's team to the subcontinent as vehicles to drive public awareness and gauge feedback.

CA's interim Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley told cricket.com.au earlier this week the creation of a new trophy was "something we probably need to think about" and added his belief the multi-format concept was integral to the ongoing evolution of the women's international game.

Jones agreed the prospect of programming multiple Test matches within bilateral women's series was problematic given the number of participating teams whose domestic structure was not as robust or well-resourced as nations such as Australia and England.

As a result, she sees the multi-format approach as the most suitable and meaningful for the current women's game.

"It gives some real context and relevance to each and every game which is what we've certainly found in the Ashes," she said.

And although she's yet to attend her first ICC Women's Cricket Committee meeting after being elected to the role last month, Jones expects the scheduling of women's international fixtures to figure in upcoming discussions.

One of the topics that might arise is the potential for a centrally compiled women's international playing fixture similar to the ICC's current Future Tours Program (FTP) for men's cricket.

Image Id: 2F5805B0E6404CC8BBB61AA98E061B2E Image Caption: The Australian Women's Team for the 2006 Test against India // Getty

However, Jones acknowledges the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could see that discussion remain on the backburner for the immediate future.

"It's a tricky one," she said of the push for any central schedule to help enshrine more women's Test matches around the world.

"The global game is in such a precarious position in a lot of ways, when you look at so many of the countries struggling through this pandemic their focus is rightly a bit more on survival than cricket.

"I'm only new on the ICC women's committee, but we'll certainly be having that discussion.

"It helps that national bodies around the world are still predominantly run by men who support Test match cricket, and we can certainly use that to our advantage in having a conversations about the expansion into more multi-format series like the Ashes and this one against India.

"Our ecosystem of cricket is complex, and we know that in the women's game there's not enough matches being played.

"But I think as players become increasingly full-time professionals and are being rewarded as such, you don't want them training more than they're playing which is what's happening at the moment."

2021-22 Women's International Season

Commonwealth Bank Women's Series v India

Sep 19: First ODI, North Sydney Oval (D/N)

Sep 22: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Sep 24: Third ODI, Junction Oval

Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, WACA Ground (D/N)

Oct 7: First T20, North Sydney Oval

Oct 9: Second T20, North Sydney Oval

Oct 11: Third T20, North Sydney Oval

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval

Feb 4: First T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 6: Second T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 10: Third T20, Adelaide Oval

Feb 13: First ODI, Adelaide Oval

Feb 16: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Feb 19: Third ODI, Junction Oval