Never thought that I would experience day-night Test, says Smriti Mandhana
May 26, 2021
New Delhi [India], May 26 : India women's opening batter Smriti Mandhana has said that she never felt that she would experience a day-night Test.
India Women will play against Australia Women in a day-night Test later this year at the WACA, Perth. The match would be played from September 30-October 3.
"Frankly, when I used to watch day-night Tests of men, I actually never felt that I will be able to experience this moment - it is wrong to say 'I' at the moment - that the Indian team will be able to experience the moment. So, when it got declared, I was like - Oh, wow. That's going to be crazy," ESPNcricinfo quoted Mandhana as saying.
"I remember playing my first day-night one-day or T20 match. I was pretty excited, like a small kid. I was like, 'Wow, we'll be able to play a day-night match' and all of that," she added.
Talking further about the day-night Test, Mandhana said: "Now that we are going to play a day-night match, we have lots of things to work on but there is a lot of excitement...excitement about being part of a day-night Test match, and that too in Australia, against Australia; it is always a good challenge. It's going to be a great moment for the Indian women's cricket team."
India Women will first play against England in a multi-format series this June-July. Mithali Raj's side will also be playing one Test match on this tour.
"When we got to know of the first Test, against England, the whole team was really excited. We all were looking forward to it. The last Test match I was part of was in 2014, so it's been quite a long time, we haven't gone out in whites, so that excitement of playing a Test match after nearly seven years was on another level," said Mandhana.
"It's too early at the moment. It is just going to be a process. You have to get adapted to it. It's too early for us to start the pink-ball preparations because the match is three-four months later. At the moment it's more about the England Test match, the Duke's ball, and all of that stuff, so let's see," she added.
Recently, BCCI unveiled annual contracts for the women's players and Mandhana was placed in the Grade A category.
