NEW DELHI: India's women's cricket captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, expressed her desire for more Test matches in women's cricket, stating, "Talking about women's cricket, it is improving day-by-day in India. A lot of people are coming to watch the match which we saw in the last T20Is."
She acknowledged India's significant role in influencing the future of women's cricket globally.
"As players, we want to play more and more Test games. It is ICC and (the) board's call to take up," Kaur said, recognizing that the decision ultimately rests with cricket boards and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Highlighting the changing mindset in India regarding women's cricket, Kaur said, "Everyone in the world...they want to play in India. In India, things are changing quickly when it comes to cricket. A lot of people are extending their love and we are also trying to improve."
Team India is set to play a Test at home after almost nine years, with the last home Test taking place in November 2014 against South Africa in Mysore. Kaur emphasized, "We have an opportunity to take women's cricket as high as we can."
Speaking about the challenge of transitioning from white-ball to red-ball cricket, Kaur acknowledged, "I know, after (playing) white ball cricket, it will be a little challenging. The bowling unit got 10-15 days to prepare. They understood how the red ball behaves. As batting and bowling units we have tried to cover up as much as we could."
Kaur, who recently recovered from a foot injury sustained during the third T20I against England, discussed her excitement and nervousness about leading the Indian team in Tests for the first time. "Butterflies are always there, no matter how much you have played. There is always excitement and nervousness when you go to the ground."
With Amol Muzumdar as the head coach, Kaur highlighted his encouraging message to players, stating, "The best thing he said was, go with your best batting style and don't think about changing it because it is red-ball cricket."
As India return to Test cricket after a hiatus, the team, under Kaur's leadership, aims to set a positive tone, executing their game plans against England and contributing to the broader growth of women's Test cricket.
(With inputs from PTI)
