Captain Heather Knight hopes England and India can put on a good show in Mumbai to push women’s Test cricket to the fore.
After winning the three-match Twenty20 series, England’s tour concludes with a Test – their first since a narrow Ashes loss to Australia in June.
Played over five days rather than the usual four, that contest fully lived up to its billing and Knight admitted her team felt extra pressure because of the paucity of opportunities in the format.
View this post on Instagram“We always feel as players when we play Test cricket that we’re fighting for the format a little bit because we don’t play a lot of it and obviously we want to make it entertaining and exciting for people to watch because we want Test cricket to carry on,” she said.
“I’m super excited to don the whites again. It is really special because we don’t play it that often and it’s bucket-list stuff to play a Test match in India as a cricketer.”
While this is a one-off match, Knight hopes there will be a move towards more multi-format series like the Ashes, where points are awarded across Test, one day and T20 matches, leading to an overall winner.
“I think the multi-format that we play in the Ashes – and that we’ve played against India previously – really gives that Test match context in the wider series because, if you play a one-off, it’s quite hard to know what it means,” she said.
“I’d love to see some more multi-format cricket played domestically around the world as programmes professionalise.
“I think it’s really good for skill development as players but obviously T20 has been the thing that’s pushed women’s cricket in particular forward so you almost don’t want to lose that as well.
“I think it’s a really hard balance that the administrators have got to find to incorporate it.”
Knight admits the lack of Test experience makes selections and tactics a challenge but she now feels more comfortable over the long format.
“It actually makes selections quite hard because you’re not going on a lot of information,” she said.
“The Test matches we have played in the last few years, we’ve learned a lot from and I think as an individual you learn the ebbs and flows of how you want to go about batting, for example.
“I’ve learned a lot more in my last three or four Test matches and felt like I’ve really started to work out a method and know the tempo you want to go at. I think that’s the hardest thing.
“Earlier in my career I went too much into my shell and too defensive because I thought that was how you played red-ball cricket but I think it’s all about scoring runs.”
A Test match victory in India would certainly be a feather in England’s cap, and Knight added: “It would be a great finish for the team.
“It was so pleasing that T20 series. I think the way we played in it, obviously with a T20 World Cup coming up, it feels like we’re in a really strong place and are really building a bigger squad with competition for places and also exposing some younger players to conditions they haven’t faced too much of.
“Obviously we’re going to have to play really well. It’s really tough playing cricket out here with the heat, the humidity, the different conditions.
“It would be really satisfying if we can have a really good four days and come out with a big W ready for Christmas back home.”
Inglis hails 'hard to stop' Stoinis after ruthless knock
Josh Inglis lauded "hard to stop" Marcus Stoinis as Australia signed off their T20I series against Pakistan in style, claiming a whitewash.
The hosts raced to a seven-wicket victory with almost nine overs remaining in Monday's third match.
After Australia's bowlers had limited Pakistan to just 117 runs, Stoinis ensured they signed off their final white-ball assignment in style, with his unbeaten 61 doing the damage.
Only twice has he bettered that knock in T20Is – versus New Zealand in 2021 (78) and against Oman at the World Cup earlier this year (67*).
"It's been a great week. We've had a lot of fun as a group," Inglis said. "It's been really nice.
"When Stoinis is going like that, he is really hard to stop. One of those sixes was probably the biggest I've ever seen!"
Stoinis, who was named player of the match, added: "Nice to score some runs on a beautiful wicket but credit to the bowlers who kept the total down.
"Yeah, I actually told [Haris] Rauf that this is the first time any of us got the better of him! No, he's a brilliant bowler, bowled well this series."
During their white-ball tour, Pakistan won the ODI series, their first time doing so in Australia in 22 years, but got whitewashed in the T20Is.
Despite the heavy loss, captain Agha Salman chose to focus on the positive effect the experience will have on their young players.
"I think in the middle overs, we didn't capitalise on the start," he said. "But lots of positives.
"The way Usman [Khan] batted, the way Jahandad [Khan] bowled. These youngsters will come good.
"It's obviously a big achievement winning the ODI series, but we could have done much better in the T20Is."
Salt century gives England winning start to West Indies T20 series
Phil Salt hit a superb century as England drew first blood in their T20 series against West Indies, with a commanding eight-wicket victory at the Kensington Oval.
Salt's unbeaten 103 off 54 balls was the highlight for the tourists, who successfully chased down their target of 183 with 19 balls to spare.
The West Indies endured a difficult start and were reduced to 18-3 and later 117-8, with Saqib Mahmood (4-34) and Adil Rashid (3-32) doing the damage.
However, the hosts managed 65 runs in the last 5.2 overs to finish at 182-8, with Gukadesh Motie knocking 33 off 14 balls along the way.
Salt kick-started England's chase with 50 off just 25 deliveries taking them to 73-1 after six overs, with Will Jacks (17) dismissed with the final ball of the powerplay.
Jos Buttler's first match after four months out lasted just three minutes, as the skipper was caught by Motie for a golden duck.
However, it proved a false dawn for West Indies, with Salt and Jacob Bethall (58 from 36 balls) safely steering England to victory.
Data Debrief: Salt completes hat-trick of hundreds as Bethell makes historic half-century
England put their disappointing ODI series behind them, making history with the highest T20 chase at the Kensington Oval.
Salt was the hero with his third T20I century, all of which have come against West Indies in the past 12 months.
Bethell also made history on Saturday. Aged 21 years and 17 days, he become the youngest England player to score a 50 in a T20I.
Asalanka leads Sri Lanka to ODI series win over West Indies
Sri Lanka wrapped up the ODI series against the West Indies with a five-wicket victory in Pallekele.
The hosts successfully chased down their opponents' total of 189, giving them an unassailable 2-0 in the three-match series.
Sri Lanka controlled the early powerplay - Asitha Fernando (3-35) and Maheesh Theekshana (3-25) took two wickets apiece to leave the tourists at 31-4 in the ninth over.
Wanindu Hasaranga (4-40) then claimed three of his four wickets as Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh and Alzarri Joseph were all dismissed in the space of 14 balls.
However, Sherfane Rutherford (80 off 82 balls) and Gudakesh Motie (50 not out) steadied the ship to take the Windies from 58-8 to 189.
Although Joseph claimed Avishka Fernando (9) in the fourth over, Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama both chipped in with contributions of 38 to get the hosts to 112-4.
Skipper Charith Asalanka (62 not out) led the charge thereon, while Kamindu Mendis (11) comfortably got them over the line with 34 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: Rutherford-Motie historic stand proves academic for tourists
West Indies were looking to level the series, but their hopes were not aided by Sri Lanka's impressive bowling.
Rutherford and Motie did their best. Their partnership brought 119 runs, which is their nation's highest ninth-wicket stand in ODI history, breaking the previous record of 85 between Yannic Cariah and Alzarri Joseph.
However, it ultimately proved in vain as the hosts secured the series with a game to spare.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
