Australia Bowlers To Build Up Bowling Load In WBBL To Prepare For Women's Pink-ball Test In India

Big Bash League: Australia women’s national selector Shawn Flegler has revealed that the fast bowlers and spinners will be increasing their bowling loads during the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) with an eye to prepare for a day-night pink-ball match on their tour of India scheduled for later in the year.

Though dates for Australia’s multi-format series in India are yet to come out, it is believed that the tour will begin with a day-night pink-ball Test. It means that Australia are set to play their first Test match in India since 1984.

The two teams featured in a day-night pink-ball Test when India toured Australia in 2021. Before flying to India, Australia’s players will be participating in the WBBL from October 19 to December 2, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur the lone player from her country to feature in the competition.

"We've got to do preparation during the WBBL. Which is really important for, one, our pace bowlers to have their loads up and be ready to go if required to bowl long spells during the Test match, but also our spin bowlers. So it's a balancing act playing WBBL but also getting some loads in and preparing," Flegler was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Flegler also stated that Australia will not be playing a first-class warm-up match before the Test against India, though it played a three-day tour match against England A ahead of this year's one-off Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. Instead, they will resort to central wicket practice, apart from an intrasquad match and use Indian bowlers as net bowlers.

"We're going to go to India a week or 10 days before the Test match starts. So we'll have some good training prep leading into that. We'll have some extra players from India that we will use in some centre-wicket scenarios. We don't have an actual warm-up fixture."

"We've gone down the path of having an intrasquad game essentially. So we'll have the squad over there with some extras from India. It'll be a good challenge for everyone coming out of WBBL into a pink-ball Test match under lights," he concluded.