New trophy signals a fresh era for Australia v India

Australia and India will do battle for a brand-new trophy across the next month, and wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy hopes the freshly-minted piece of silverware will not be abandoned to gather dust once the final T20I is complete.

The rivals will meet in three ODIs, one Test and three T20Is across the upcoming CommBank series, with confirmation coming that the tour would be points-based with an overall victor.

The same points system will apply as the women’s Ashes, with two points on offer for each limited-overs win, and four for victory in the Test. A drawn or tied Test will see the teams split points.

It is the first time Australia have met anyone other than England in a multi-format series, and given no one currently holds what is a new trophy, it will be shared if the series ends on eight points apiece.

Players including Healy are hopeful the silverware – dubbed the ‘India/Australia Women’s Series Trophy’ - could become a perpetual prize in the same fashion as the men’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy, should the multi-format system be retained on future tours between the nations. 

There is currently no confirmed Future Tours Programme for the women’s game beyond the ODI World Cup early next year, but Healy was upbeat that a Test in India could be on the cards soon.

"I think now that the conversations are being had and we can see that it can work, why not?" Healy said at Fox Cricket's series launch on Wednesday.

"I love that it’s been spoken about. I wouldn’t say it's going to be the new norm (against all teams), but imagine the Kiwis standing up and saying ‘we’d be really interested in playing one of these multi-format series’.

"These multi format series are really fun to be a part of and the point structure is just a whole other ball game.

"I never thought we'd have two Tests in the one summer … to be able to play against India and then England in the Ashes is really exciting.

"My Baggy Green is tucked nicely in my backpack and hopefully I can pull it on my head twice (this summer)."

India opener Smriti Mandhana also threw her support behind the format, after getting her first taste of it against England in June and July.

That series ended in England’s favour 10 points to six, but India remained a chance of levelling the series until the final T20I.

"With multi-format every game is important," Mandhana said at the Fox Cricket event.

"So going into the last T20 we still had a chance, so I love the format.

"(And) playing a Test match is the dream for every cricketer."

After waiting her entire career to play a non-Ashes Test – and playing just four in 10 years of international cricket – Healy would also love to see Australia host at least one Test every summer.

"Test matches are so much more special for us simply because we don't play a lot of them and it is the pinnacle," Healy said.

"It's great that the conversations are being had and we'd love to see a few more nations.

"The boys have designated Test match timeslots every summer. I look at the Boxing Day Test.

"I would love to see the same thing happen for us every summer.

"Imagine November 1, Australia are (always) playing a pink-ball Test at North Sydney Oval against whatever the opposition might be."

CommBank Series v India

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

India Test and ODI squad: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht.

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wk), Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh.

Sep 21: First ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay

Sep 24: Second ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (D/N)

Sep 26: Third ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay

Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast (D/N)

Oct 7: First T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 9: Second T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 10: Third T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast