Punam Raut will lead the Indian A side for a three-match one-day home series against Australia A to be held in Mumbai from October 15 to 19. This is the first official women’s Australia A tour to India.
The three one-day matches will take place at BKC, Mumbai, followed by a T20 series, the squad for it will be named later, according to a media release by the Board for Control of Cricket in India.
This is the first official women’s ‘A’ tour since a restructure of the National Talent Pathway in Australia last year. Previously, the under-23 Shooting Stars team travelled overseas to nurture up-and-coming talent, according to Cricket Australia.
The India A squad includes several ODI regulars who have not made the cut for the World T20 to be held in West Indies in November. The 15-member Indian T20 squad didn’t feature senior pacer Shikha Pandey, ODI opener Raut and wicket-keeper Sushma Verma.
Cricket Australia have named a 14-strong squad , which includes capped players Lauren Cheatle, Molly Strano, Tahlia McGrath, Belinda Vakarewa and Amanda-Jade Wellington along with several young names from the Women’s Big Bash League.
India A Women’s ODI squad: Punam Raut (captain), Priya Punia, Devika Vaidya, Mona Meshram, Tanushree Sarkar, Sushma Verma (wicket-keeper), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sushree Dibyadarshani, C Prathyusha, Reemalaxmi Ekka, Shikha Pandey, Nethra L, Hemali Borwankar, Kavita Patil, Preeti Bose.
India A Women’s ODI squad: Samantha Bates, Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Piepa Cleary, Josephine Dooley, Heather Graham, Sammy Jo Johnson, Tahlia McGrath, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Redmayne, Naomi Stalenberg, Molly Strano, Belinda Vakarewa, Amanda-Jade Wellington.
