Melbourne: Cricket Australia is looking to increase “marquee” women’s Test series at home against India and England to three matches from the current one-off contest, according to its Chief executive Nick Hockley.
The CA top official said the governing body will “keep advocating for more Test cricket” in the women’s game.
Hockley’s comments came after captain Alyssa Healy felt a sense of unfinished business following Australia’s historic defeat to India in Mumbai last week.
Playing their first Test in India since 1984, Australia were beaten by eight wickets in the one-off contest at the Wankhede Stadium.
“We’ll keep advocating for more Test cricket as part of multi-format series,” he told SEN.
“Maybe that’s something in the future that we can think about key marquee series going to three Tests.”
Marquee series for Australia would be against England and India-only, with New Zealand reluctant to schedule women’s Tests, according to cricket.com.au.
The loss in Mumbai was Australia’s first against India in 11 Tests, with Healy saying she would love to be involved in more red-ball cricket.
“It would create a real contest over three games. That would be an unbelievable experience for our group, and probably a true test of both sides’ abilities,” she had said.
“The one-off Test, India playing in their home conditions, you’d expect them to be heavy favourites. We would love to have another crack at it, show what we learned and put it into practice.”
The last women’s Test series of more than one match was played way back in 2006, while India had not hosted any red-ball cricket for nine years before 2023.
The first of the three-match women’s ODI series between India and Australia begins on Thursday at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This will be followed by three T20Is at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
PTI
