It’s going to be a great moment for the Indian women’s cricket: Mandhana on D/N pink-ball Test match

The BCCI recently announced that India's women's team will play Australia in their first-ever day and night (D/N) pink-ball Test match later this year. This will be only the second pink-ball Test in women's cricket history, with the first taking place in 2017 between Australia and England.

During an interview with ESPNCricinfo, India women’s team opener Smriti Mandhana expressed her great joy at being a part of the D/N Test match, as well as her honour at being a part of such a historic moment in India women's cricket.

“Frankly, when I used to watch day-night Tests of men, I actually never felt that I will be able to experience this moment — it’s wrong to say ‘I’ at the moment — that the Indian team will be able to experience the moment. So, when it got declared, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s going to be crazy,” Smriti Mandhana told ESPNcricinfo.

On playing the Aussies Down Under

“Now that we are going to play a day-night match, (we have) lots of things to work on but (there’s a) lot of excitement about being part of a day-night Test match, and that too in Australia, against Australia, it’s always a good challenge. It’s going to be a great moment for the Indian women’s cricket team," Mandhana added.

The blistering batter says their primary focus is currently on the England tour, which begins on June 16th with a one-off four-day Test match, followed by three ODIs, and three T20Is against the Three Lions.

“It’s too early at the moment. It’s just going to be a process. You have to get adapted to it. It’s too early for us to start the pink-ball preparations because the match is three-four months later. At the moment it’s more about the England Test match, the Duke’s ball and all of that stuff, so let’s see.

On playing their first Test match after nearly 7 years

“When we got to know of the first Test, against England, the whole team was really excited. We all were looking forward (to it). The last Test match I was part of was in 2014, so it’s been quite a long time, we haven’t gone out in whites, so that excitement of playing a Test match (after nearly seven years) was on another level," the 24-year-old said.