India Women have signalled a bold new phase in their red-ball journey, announcing a 15-member squad for the one-off Test against Australia Women at Perth’s iconic WACA Ground from March 6 to 9. The squad blends proven leaders with exciting new faces, as India prepares to take on the world’s most formidable Test side on Australian soil.
Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the side, with Smriti Mandhana appointed vice-captain, continuing the leadership combination that has guided India through recent successes across formats.
The four-day Test forms the final leg of India’s multi-format tour of Australia, which begins in mid-February. The tour will open with three T20 Internationals, followed by three ODIs, before culminating in the much-anticipated red-ball contest in Perth. India’s tour gets underway with a T20I in Sydney on February 15.
Five Players Earn Maiden Test Call-Ups
The biggest takeaway from the squad announcement is the inclusion of five players who have received their maiden Test call-ups: Pratika Rawal, Amanjot Kaur, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, and Sayali Satghare.
Pratika Rawal makes her return to the national setup after missing the latter stages of India’s victorious ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 campaign due to a hairline ankle fracture. Although part of the UP Warriorz squad in the ongoing WPL, Rawal is yet to feature, with medical clearance still awaited from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
Explosive opener Shafali Verma, who replaced Rawal during the World Cup knockouts, retains her spot in the Test squad. Shafali has opened alongside Mandhana in India’s last five Tests and arrives with confidence after scoring a career-best 205 against South Africa in her previous red-ball outing.
Harleen Deol also returns to the Test setup after being part of squads against England and Australia in 2023. While she is yet to make her Test debut, Deol strengthens India’s middle-order options alongside Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and newcomer Amanjot Kaur.
India have named Richa Ghosh and Uma Chetry as wicketkeeping options. Ghosh has featured in two Tests, most recently against South Africa, while Chetry is yet to make her red-ball debut. Chetry has also been included in India’s white-ball squads as a replacement for Gunalan Kamalini, who was ruled out of the tour due to a shoulder injury.
The spin department will be led by experienced all-rounders Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana, with young spinner Vaishnavi Sharma providing additional depth. In pace, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud and seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur form the core fast-bowling group.
India head into the contest on the back of strong red-ball performances. They defeated South Africa by 10 wickets in Chennai in mid-2024 and previously stunned Australia with an eight-wicket victory at the Wankhede in December 2023, a result that underlined India’s growing confidence in the longest format.
However, several players from the last Test squad missed out this time, including Saika Ishaque, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Meghna Singh and Priya Punia. With fresh faces eager to make their mark and experienced campaigners anchoring the side, India’s Test against Australia promises a compelling battle.
India Test squad:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Thakur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare
