It will be India’s second Test of this year after their encounter against England in Bristol, where they fought hard on the last day to secure a draw. On the other hand, Australia have not played a single Test since the 2019 Ashes against England.
The winner of the pink-ball Test will get four points, and the hosts shall be eyeing to grab those so that they can take an unassailable lead going into the T20I leg of the tour.
Pitch and weather report:
The track is a drop-in wicket and might have a cover of grass on it. The strip has traditionally been conducive for fast bowlers and could follow the trend in the upcoming game.
The weather forecast could be a problem with showers and storms forecast for the first two days.
Probable XIs:
Aussie vice-captain Rachael Haynes has been ruled out for the remainder of the series, but Beth Mooney seems to have recovered well from her hamstring niggle.
Australia: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Darcie Brown, Stella Campbell
India will also field without their vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur as she continues to recover from her thumb injury. Experienced Punam Raut, who could have lost her position in the final XI to youngster Yastika Bhatia, would now replace Kaur.
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Mithali Raj (C), Punam Raut, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
Match Time: 10:00 AM IST/ 4:30 AM GMT/ 2:30 PM LOCAL
Broadcast and Live streaming details:
- India: Sony SIX; SonyLIV
- Australia: Fox Cricket; Kayo Sports
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