Australia to host India in multi-format women's 'A' series

Several of Australia's biggest stars will begin their T20 World Cup preparations alongside the country's best rising talent, as Australia A host India A in Queensland in August.

The multi-format 'A' series will feature three T20s, three one-dayers and a four-day red-ball game, to be played across Brisbane, Mackay and the Gold Coast.

Cricket Australia today confirmed the schedule and named three Australia A squads for the series, with Australia vice-captain Tahlia McGrath to lead the 20-over and 50-over sides, before Charli Knott takes the reins for the four-day game.

Fellow Australia quick Tayla Vlaeminck will also feature in the white-ball matches, which will be her first hit-out since April's tour of Bangladesh as they begin preparations for the T20 World Cup in October.

Megan Schutt and Kim Garth were initially also named in the T20I and ODI squads, but have since been handed late call-ups to The Hundred as replacement players. 

Australia A squads

 

T20 squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott (vc), Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath (c), Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tahlia Wilson

 

One-day squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott (vc), Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath (c), Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tahlia Wilson

 

Four-day squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke (wk), Sophie Day, Emma de Broughe, Nicole Faltum (vc), Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott (c), Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll

McGrath and Vlaeminck are among the few nationally contracted players who will not be in the United Kingdom playing in The Hundred in August, alongside captain Alyssa Healy and fast bowler Darcie Brown.

Brown, who was ruled out of the March-April tour of Bangladesh with a foot injury, is continuing to work through her return-to-training plan, which all going well, would see the speedster back to match fitness by early September and available for World Cup selection. 

"I'm really looking forward to being a part of this series and for the challenge that India A will pose," McGrath said.

"It presents those of us not playing in The Hundred with the chance to prepare for a huge summer against a strong opposition."

The 'A' series will begin with a trio of T20Is at Brisbane's Allan Border Field, the same venue that will host a T20I against New Zealand in September and two ODIs against India's senior women's side in December.

Three 50-over games at Mackay's Great Barrier Reef Stadium will follow, starting an exciting summer of international cricket for the North Queensland venue, which will also host Australia's senior women's team for two T20Is in September, and a men's Australia A v India A first-class game in late October.

Gold Coast District Cricket Club will play host to the four-day game, which will provide up-and-coming talent from both teams a rare opportunity to play red-ball cricket.

A host of domestic stars will get their chance to push their case for higher honours across all formats, including prodigiously talented Queensland allrounder Knott, who has been starring in England's domestic competitions during the off-season.

Knott will deputise for McGrath in the white-ball games before taking over for the four-day game, where she will be supported by Victoria's Nicole Faltum.

Faltum has been nominated as wicketkeeper in both white-ball squads, with Maddy Darke taking the gloves for the four-day game.

Frequent Australia A representatives Georgia Redmayne, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Lauren Cheatle are unavailable due to The Hundred, but their absence has created opportunities for others including 20-year-old Queensland leg-spinner Grace Parsons.

Georgia Voll, who made headlines when she struck a double century in the Australia A 'green v gold' red-ball game in Adelaide earlier this year, will miss the white-ball games but will come into the squad for the four-day match.

Voll had travelled to the UK to play for Lancashire in England's domestic competitions this off-season but her stay was cut short after she suffered a hamstring injury in late May.

"It's great to be able to welcome yet another Indian side to our shores for what's going to be an exciting summer," national selector Shawn Flegler said.

"We've seen some tough battles between the two countries in the past, especially in Mackay, and I expect this series to be no different.

"This series will allow us to take a closer look at some of the players who have impressed at domestic level while giving the nationally contracted players the chance to fine tune their preparations ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup."

The series will kick off a blockbuster summer of cricket between the fierce rivals, with four separate India teams to tour Australia in 2024-25.

Australia will host India's women in three ODIs in December, while the men will contest the five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy, and India A's men will play two first-class matches against Australia A.

Women’s Australia A v India A Series

First T20: August 7, Allan Border Field, 1pm

Second T20: August 9, Allan Border Field, 1pm

Third T20: August 11, Allan Border Field, 1pm

Australia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott (vc), Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath (c), Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tahlia Wilson

First ODI: August 14, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 9.30am

Second ODI: August 16, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 1.20pm (D/N)

Third ODI: August 18, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 1.20pm (D/N)

Australia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott (vc), Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath (c), Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tahlia Wilson

Four-day match: August 22-25, Gold Coast District Cricket Club, 9.30am

Australia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke (wk), Sophie Day, Emma de Broughe, Nicole Faltum (vc), Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott (c), Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll

India A squad: Minnu Mani (c), Shweta Sehrawat (vc), Priya Punia, Shubha Satheesh, Tejal Hasabnis, Kiran Navgire, Sajana Sajeevan, Uma Chetry (wk), Shipra Giri (wk), Raghavi Bisht, Saika Ishaque, Mannat Kashyap, Tanuja Kanwar, Priya Mishra, Meghna Singh, Sayali Satghare, Shabnam Shakeel (subject to fitness), S Yashasri. Standby: Saima Thakor