India Women v/s England Women Test: Preview, Teams, When and Where to Watch, Live Streaming

Preview

Having played a total of 36 test matches in their cricketing history, the Indian women are set to play their 37th and the first test in over seven years. Their record in the longest format of the game is nothing to boast of, with 5 wins, 6 losses and 25 draws. The England women, on the other hand, have played 95 tests with 20 wins, 14 losses, and 61 draws in their history.

The one-off test match between the 2017 ICC Women's ODI World Cup finalists will be played at the County Cricket Ground in Bristol. Both the teams have a strong squad to pick their playing eleven from, and it might be a good headache to have.

The match is expected to be a big test for both the teams as they have hardly played any first-class cricket since a long time – a sentiment which the skippers from either side echoed. India and England have encountered each other thirteen times in test matches, with the Indians holding a 2-1 edge and the remaining ten matches ending in a draw.

Traditionally the ground has supported pace bowlers, and with rain interruptions and overcast conditions expected, the quick bowlers are expected to have a gala time. But, the fact that a secondhand pitch will be used for the game means that it might play a bit slow and both the teams will be tempted to go in with an extra spinner.

Expected XI

Though the Indian skipper Mithali Raj did not give anything away about her first eleven during the press conference on the eve of the match, they are expected to hand out a test cap to the explosive opener Shafali Verma which means that fellow youngster Jemimah Rodrigues might miss out. The others making their test debut might include Radha Yadav, Deepti Sharma and Taniya Bhatia.

While the inclusion of Smriti Mandhana, Harmapreet Kaur, Jhulan Goswami and Shika Pandey is a no-brainer, there might be a direct toss-up between the speed of Pooja Vastrakar and the swing of Arundati Reddy. The team is spoilt for choices in the spin department with a total of three players – Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bist and Radha Yadav competing for the one slot in the playing 11.

India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Poonam Raut, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar/Arundati Reddy, Poonam Yadav

Much like Raj, Heather Knight, too, kept her cards close to her chest and decided not to reveal her first eleven. But the team for England seems to be more or less settled with, with just a couple of debatable positions.

Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield are expected to open the innings, followed by Knight, Natalie Sciver and Amy Jones. While the bowling unit will be led by the experienced Katherine Brunt, with Anya Shrubsole and Emily Arlott for the company in the pace department and Sophie Ecclestone in the spin.

England: Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Winfield, Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver, Amy Jones (wk), Georgia Elwiss, Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, Sophie Ecclestone, Emily Arlott, Mady Villiers/Kate Cross

Complete Squads

India squad: Mithali Raj (C), Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur (VC), Punam Raut, Priya Punia, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Indrani Roy (wicket-keeper), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav.

England squad: Heather Knight (C), Emily Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Natasha Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Natalie Sciver (VC), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield-Hill

When to Watch?

The test match between India and England will kick start at 3:30pm IST on 16th July 2021.

Where to Watch?

The solitary test match will be telecasted by the Sony Network and can be viewed on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 1 HD.

Where to Live Stream?

If by any chance, you are unable to watch the match on the television channel, you can live stream it online on the SonyLIV application or website.