Full circle in Perth - A momentous occasion awaits as the all format series between hosts Australia Women and India Women reaches its final stop in Perth, where the WACA Ground is set to stage the only Test of the tour, which will be a Pink Ball Test. It signals a welcome return to whites for both sides against each other after nearly two and a half years, with their last red ball meeting coming in Mumbai in December 2023. The fixture also brings the Australia India women’s Test back to Perth for the first time since 1977, when the city hosted the inaugural clash between the two in the longest format, adding a touch of history to an already special finale. As it stands - Australia have already locked in the multi-format trophy after sweeping the ODIs, but they are not done flexing yet. After a shaky start in the T20Is, going down 2-4 in points, they bounced back hard to win all three one-dayers and head into the Test with an 8-4 lead. Four points are still up for grabs, so India can still fight to level the series, but no matter what happens, the silverware stays with Australia. O Captain! My Captain! Starting her international journey nearly 16 years ago, Alyssa Healy will step onto the field one last time before hanging up her boots. What a ride it has been! A very long, decorated, and hugely successful career, not just as a player but also as a sharp, astute and inspiring leader. It also marks a huge milestone as Australia captain Alyssa Healy plays her 299th and final international match. To celebrate, Cricket Australia has renamed the hill at the iconic venue Healy Hill for the match and is encouraging fans to pack it out on day two as part of a special initiative with Westpac. It promises to be a fitting send-off for one of the game’s greats. Squad updates - Australia - Australia have called up Rachel Trenaman and Maitlan Brown to their injury-hit squad for the day-night Test. Trenaman joins the squad for the first time as cover for Ellyse Perry, who is recovering from a quad strain and may play as a specialist batter if fit. Brown returns to the national setup after a long time and could provide a fresh new-ball option alongside left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton, who made her ODI debut in Hobart on Sunday. Both players add depth as Australia cope with injuries to Perry, Georgia Wareham, and Sophie Molineux ahead of the Perth Test. The 24-year-old, Trenaman, has been blazing it at the top of the order for Tasmania in this season’s 50-over Women’s National Cricket League, making her one to watch heading into the Test. Brown returns to the Australia squad for the first time since 2021. The 28-year-old quick has enjoyed a strong domestic summer, picking up 16 wickets in 10 matches for New South Wales and adding firepower to the pace attack. India - Like Australia, India have made a late change to their squad, with key pace bowler Renuka Thakur ruled out to better manage her workload. Uncapped quick Kashvee Gautam has been added in her place. Opener Pratika Rawal is set to make her Test debut after returning from a World Cup-ending ankle injury, and she is one of seven uncapped players in the squad for the day-night Test at the WACA Ground. Among the newcomers is 20-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who made her international debut last December, highlighting India’s blend of seasoned campaigners and fresh talent ready to make their mark in the longest format. Team form (Last five Tests, recent first) AUS - WWLWD | IND - WWWDD. Recent records - Australia come into the Perth Test on a high, having won their last two Tests convincingly. They beat England at the MCG in January 2025 and South Africa at the WACA in February 2024, wrapping up both matches inside three days. Before that, they lost to India at Wankhede in December 2023 but also celebrated a thrilling fifth-day win over England at Trent Bridge the same year, showing they can dominate across conditions. India come into the Perth Test with a strong recent record at home, having won three Tests in a row between December 2023 and July 2024 against England, Australia, and South Africa. They haven’t played a Test since then, and their last two overseas outings in the format were draws against England and Australia back in 2021. Pink Ball history - The women’s game has treated day-night Tests like rare gems. Unlike the men’s circuit, where lights are more common, these matches are reserved for moments that shape careers. The pink ball is not just a novelty. It is a stage where legends are made, records are written, and cricket history shines a little brighter under the lights. Here are a few of those historic ones - 1. The first women’s day-night Test in Sydney will be remembered as the Ellyse Perry show against England in 2017. She blazed an unbeaten 213 in over seven hours under the lights, and while the match ended in a draw, her innings proved the pink ball was here to stay. 2. India’s first pink-ball Test was a masterclass in dominance without a win. Smriti Mandhana’s 127 made history as the first Indian century in Australia, while Jhulan Goswami’s seam attack kept Australia under pressure, proving India owned the game even as rain stole the result. 3. The January 2025 day-night Test at the MCG was a showcase of Australian firepower in front of a record-breaking crowd. Annabel Sutherland’s commanding 163 and Beth Mooney’s milestone century set the tone, while Alana King spun England into submission with a 5-wicket haul. England never recovered, falling to an innings defeat. The batting giants - For Australia, Ellyse Perry leads the way with 930 Test runs, making her the top run-scorer in the current squad and second overall in women’s Test cricket, just behind Karen Rolton, the only player with over a thousand Test runs. For India, Smriti Mandhana carries the scoring mantle, boasting a stellar average of 57.18 with two hundreds and three fifties, making her a real threat at the crease. She is 122 away from surpassing Shantha Ragaswamy (750) as the second all-time leading run scorer for India in women's Tests. Quick stats - 1. Australia have won their last two matches by huge margins of an innings, against England in the women’s Ashes, and South Africa. They won against the Proteas by an inning and 284 runs at this very venue of the WACA. 2. Overall, at WACA, the Aussies have a record of 1 win, 1 loss and two draws in four matches. Also, they have scored 400-plus runs in each of their past two batting innings in women's Tests. 3. India lost their last women’s Test way back in 2006, against Australia in Adelaide. Since then, they have won six and three of the matches ended up in draws. 4. India have won their last three Test matches against three different oppositions. They beat England in 2023, Australia at that famous Wankhede Test the same year, and beat South Africa by 10 wickets in 2024.
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