All you need to know for the #AUSvIND series

18 Sep 2021 Laura Jolly

Get all the broadcast details, team news and more ahead of the seven-match series that will start the 2021-22 international summer

Australia's top-ranked women are returning to the field after a six-month break, taking on fierce rivals India to start the 2021-22 international season.

The Commonwealth Bank series will be the first international cricket played in Australia since January, and Meg Lanning's team's first outing since their successful tour of New Zealand last March and April.

What's the schedule?

COVID-19 has already had an impact on the schedule, with the outbreaks in Sydney and Melbourne forcing the entire series to be relocated to Queensland. Originally, the matches were due to be played in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

The tour will begin two days later than originally scheduled with three ODIs at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, formerly known as Harrup Park, with matches on September 21, 24 and 26. It's the first ODI cricket between the two teams since 2018.

A one-off day-night Test match will then follow at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast between September 30 and October 3, the first meeting between Australia and India in the longest format in 15 years. It is also India's first ever pink-ball Test, while Australia have played one previous day-nighter, during the 2017 Ashes.

Three T20s, the first between the teams since the T20 World Cup final at the MCG in March last year, will follow at the same venue on October 7, 9 and 10.

Brisbane's Allan Border Field, which hosted Australia's matches against New Zealand last season, is not available this summer due to renovations.

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

Can I attend?

For those in Queensland, the good news is fans will be able to attend the matches with tickets now on sale.

All tickets to women's matches are under $30 each with a family pass on sale for $43, plus transaction fees.

How can I watch?

Every ball of the series will be broadcast live on the Seven Network and Fox Sports, and if you can't get to a TV, you can head to cricket.com.au or the CA Live app to sign up and stream via Kayo Sports.

And if you prefer to listen to your cricket, tune in to ABC Grandstand's radio coverage.

For broadcast details around the world, including an exciting streaming partnership with the ICC, click here.

How else can I follow?

If you can't tune in live, or simply want to relive the action again and again – never fear!

You'll be able to catch up on all the highlights on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, while our crew on the ground will bring you the latest news and video.

Catch a replay of every wicket in the CA Live app's match centre, while push notifications can alert you to all breaking news.

You can also subscribe and tune into The Scoop Podcast, where hosts Emily Collin and Laura Jolly chat to the players and cover all the news you need to know.

For all the latest updates and behind-the-scenes action, and for player reactions after every match, be sure to follow @cricketcomau and the @AusWomenCricket social channels.

What are the squads?

Australia will be without the world's two highest ranked ODI bowlers with spinner Jess Jonassen ruled out due to a stress reaction in her lower leg, while Megan Schutt requested not to be considered for selection after welcoming her first child with wife Jess.

Queensland batter Georgia Redmayne and 19-year-old NSW fast bowler Stella Campbell have been handed their first international call-ups, while Maitlan Brown has been recalled after missing the tour of New Zealand in March and April due to a serious hamstring injury. Annabel Sutherland also returns to the fold after being a late omission from that trans-Tasman trip due to a stress reaction in her right femur.

In all, Australia have nine potential Test debutants in their ranks, and at least two players will be handed their maiden Baggy Greens on the Gold Coast.

India have named injured pair Harmanpreet Kaur and Rajeshwari Gayakwad in a 22-player squad. Kaur, India's T20 skipper, is recovering from a quad injury suffered in The Hundred in England, while left-arm spinner Gayakwad missed the recent tour of the UK due to a knee problem.

India have also called up three uncapped players for the tour; medium pacer Maghna Singh, left-handed batter Yastika Bhatia and allrounder Renuka Singh.

Incredibly, two members of India's Test squad, captain Mithali Raj and fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, were part of the last Test the two nations played 15 years ago.

The 12 members of Australia's 18-player group hailing from NSW and Victoria were released from a fortnight of hard quarantine on September 13, when they were reunited with the remainder of the squad. India were released from hotel quarantine on the same day.

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.What’s at stake?

What's on the line?

A brand-new trophy will be on the line in this series, with a point-based system to be used for the first time in matches between the two nations.

The same points system for the women's Ashes will apply, 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 the 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.

Overall bragging rights aside, the ODIs are a crucial chance for both sides to perfect their plans for next year's one-day World Cup in New Zealand.

Australia are on a world record 24-match winning streak in the format and have never lost an ODI series to India, while Mithali Raj's side are coming off back-to-back ODI series defeats to South Africa and England.

The T20s will be the first time the sides have met in the format since the 2020 T20 World Cup final at the MCG, where Australia romped to their fifth title in front of 86,174 fans at the MCG.

Form guide

Australia have not played an international match since April, and the vast majority of their squad spent the winter training with their states, with only Georgia Redmayne getting match practice after travelling to the UK for The Hundred.

Several planned team camps had to be cancelled due to border closures before the group reunited on September 13 in Brisbane.

The world's top-ranked team will hope they can shake off the rust quickly as they look to extend their world-record 24-game winning streak in 50-over cricket.

India waited almost a year to play an international game following the 2020 T20 World Cup but have played series against South Africa and England since returning to action in March.

They lost both of those campaigns, but will come into the tour of Australia match hardened from their tour of the UK in June and July, which also featured three ODIs, one Test and three T20Is.

They lost that points-based series 10-6, winning just one game in each limited-overs format and drawing the Test.

Five of their players also featured in The Hundred, while the reminder of the squad undertook a pre-departure training camp in Bengaluru.

CommBank Series v India