D/N Test in Australia, Dukes balls in England excite Smriti

MUMBAI: Opening batswoman Smriti Mandhana on Wednesday said that the Indian team was excited about playing its maiden day-night Test in Australia this year, though its immediate task was to focus on the Dukes ball in England next month.

The India team will play a one-off Test against England from June 16-20 in Bristol, and it will be followed by a three-match ODI and a three-match T20I series.

The team will then visit Australia in September-October, when it will play a pink-ball Test in Perth from September 30 to October 4.

"Frankly, when I used to watch day-night Tests of men, I actually never felt that I will be able to experience this moment -- it's wrong to say 'I' at the moment -- that the Indian team will be able to experience the moment," Smriti told espncricinfo.com

"So, when it got declared, I was like, 'Oh, wow. That's going to be crazy.' Now that we are going to play a day-night match, [we have] lots of things to work on but [there's a] lot of excitement…excitement about being part of a day-night Test match, and that too in Australia, against Australia; it's always a good challenge. It's going to be a great moment for the Indian women's cricket team," said the 24-year-old cricketer, who has played two Tests, both in 2014.

Smriti, who is currently in mandatory quarantine in Mumbai before flying out to England, said the excitement around playing a Test after nearly seven years was unimaginable.

"When we got to know of the first Test, against England, the whole team was really excited. We all were looking forward [to it]. The last Test match I was part of was in 2014, so it's been quite a long time; we haven't gone out in whites, so that excitement of playing a Test match [after nearly seven years] was on another level," she said. IANS

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