Rawal, Vaishnavi earn maiden Women's Test call-ups for Australia tour
What's the story
Pratika Rawal and Vaishnavi Sharma have been named in India's squad for the upcoming one-off Test against Australia. The match will be played at Perth's WACA Stadium from March 6 to 9. This is a major milestone for both players, as it marks their first-ever long-format call-up. The squad will be captained by Harmanpreet Kaur and features four potential debutants: Rawal, Sharma, Kranti Gaud, and Sayali Satghare.
Player profile
Pratika Rawal's impressive ODI record and recovery from injury
Rawal, a key player in India's World Cup-winning campaign, has an impressive WODI record of 1,110 runs in 24 matches at an average of 50.45. The inclusion in the Test squad indicates that she has recovered well from the ankle injury that kept her out of last year's women's ODI World Cup semifinal and final. Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma, and Jemimah Rodrigues are the other star batters in the team.
Rising star
Vaishnavi Sharma's rise in international cricket
Sharma, a left-arm spinner, made her international debut in December during a home T20I series against Sri Lanka. She has played five T20Is so far and was instrumental in India's U-19 World Cup victory earlier this year. The Indian team management is impressed with her willingness to take risks even in white-ball cricket, where spin bowling can be risky.
Additional players
Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare's inclusion in the squad
Gaud, a pacer who made her India debut last year, has played 15 ODIs and four T20Is. She has been particularly effective in the 50-over format, taking 23 wickets. Satghare, a Mumbai-based pacer, has played three ODIs against Ireland in January. Her inclusion means that experienced player Arundhati Reddy was not considered for selection this time around.
Information
Here is the Indian squad
Indian squad for one-off Women's Test vs Australia: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare.