Fresh pitches to be used for Aussie Test double

Australia's women will avoid the worn wicket debacle that has clouded England's Test against India, with officials confirming fresh pitches will be provided this summer.

The use of an old pitch at Bristol for England's rare women's Test against India has drawn global criticism after it was used for a men's domestic T20 match last week.

It comes after the last women's Ashes Test in England was also played on a worn wicket that had initially been rolled out for a men's match during the 2019 World Cup.

That wicket became particularly sluggish and made scoring difficult as the four-day game ended in a draw.

Notably, the point has been made that a used pitch would never be rolled out for a men's Test match.

But Cricket Australia officials confirmed on Friday that fresh pitches would be used for Tests against India in Perth and England in Canberra this summer.

"It's standard practice in Australia to ensure fresh pitches are available for all men's and women's Test matches and this season will be no different," head of operations Peter Roach said.

"We've seen the women's game rise to a new level in recent times and it's important we provide the platform for that trend to continue.

"The WACA Ground and Manuka Oval are terrific venues for Test cricket and with first-class ground staff, we're extremely confident that the facilities for the two women's Tests will be of the highest standard.

"The Tests, to be played against two of Australia's greatest rivals, form part of two series that promise plenty of highlights for fans across the summer."

Slow wickets were labelled the biggest factor behind 64 per cent of all women's Tests ending in draws by Ellyse Perry earlier this year, and a bigger issue than the shorter match time.

"What's important is the venue, and where we play those matches if we want to get results out of the game," Perry said in May.

"Obviously on benign pitches, it becomes even harder across four days rather than five.

"When you've got wickets promoting a fair contest between bat and ball I don't see why four days isn't long enough (to get a result)."

Meanwhile CA are still working with India to confirm whether the Test, three ODIs and three T20s will be played as one multi-format series similar to the Ashes.