Punia got the chance to play her maiden ODI after star opener Mandhana was ruled out on the eve of the game
The one-off Test against India, scheduled to be held from 16-19 June, starts an important summer for Knight's team that has an Ashes series followed by a World Cup title defense in New Zealand.
Veda Krishnamurthy struck a blistering half-century as the Indian women cricket team clinched a comprehensive six-wicket win over West Indies in the first ODI of three-match series at the Gokaraju Liala Gangaaraju ACA Cricket Ground in Mulapadu, Vijayawada on Thursday. Opting to bat first, West Indies batting line-up failed to counter India's bowling attack and were eventually bundled out for mere 131 runs. Merissa Aguilleira was the highest scorer for the Caribbean side with 42 runs.
India opener Smriti Mandhana has jumped three places to reach a career-best third position in the latest ICC Women's T20I Player rankings released on Sunday.
Regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of the three-match T20I series against England due to an an ankle injury.
'Her work ethic, disciple, dedication, determination and hunger to score runs for herself and for the team makes her stand out from the rest.'
Star all-rounder Harmanpreet Singh was on Tuesday named captain of the Indian women's cricket team for the five-match T20 series against South Africa, starting February 13 in Potchefstroom.
The Indian women's cricket team would now go through a trial by fire when it make its day-night Test debut against Australia in the one-off game, starting in Gold Coast on Thursday.
'We need to work on our partnerships as batters'
Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver's aggressive unbeaten fifties beat India Women by eight wickets
The Indian women's cricket team survived a mid-innings collapse to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the second Twenty20 International to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, in Ranchi on Wednesday. After restricting Sri Lanka to 107/8 in 20 overs, the Indians endured some anxious moments before coming through in 19 overs. The decision to bat first backfired severely on the Lankans with Ekta Bisht (3/22) and Poonam Yadav (3/17) combining to rip through the visiting line-up. Dilani Manodara's 27 was the best that a Lankan batter could manage, followed by skipper Shashikala Siriwardene's 26-run effort. In reply, India's in-form captain Mithali Raj was the star performer for the hosts, striking an unbeaten 51 which came off 52 balls and was studded with half a dozen fours.
BCCI official says while the board has tightened the system further, issues raised by players are swiftly answered by the finance department.
The White Ferns chased down the target in 29.2 overs to register a morale-boosting win.
The Indian women's cricket team took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series against the West Indies with an emphatic five-wicket win in the second ODI in Mulapudu, Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday.
The Indian women's cricket team defeated New Zealand by three wickets in the third and final Twenty20 International, in Bangalore, on Wednesday. The consolation victory gave the Indians something to cheer about following defeats in the first two games.
Mithali Raj will lead the 14-member Indian squad in the next month's ICC Women's World Cup Qualifiers which brings together 10 sides in their quest to claim the remaining four places in the main event to be held in June next year. The tournament will run from February 7 to 21 at four Colombo venues and the sides finishing in the top four of the Super Six stage will join defending champion Australia, host England, former winner New Zealand and reigning ICC World Twenty20 champion West Indies in the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 from June 26 to July 23.
Taylor's all-round show helps West Indies claim one-run win over India
India have dominated New Zealand so far in the series and won the second game by eight runs. The third and final ODI will be played on Friday.
The Supernovas, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, have been invincible so far winning all the previous two editions.
Mithali Raj's Velocity overcame some anxious moments late in the innings before registering a three-wicket victory over Trailblazers to keep their hopes alive in the inaugural Women's T20 Challenge, in Jaipur, on Wednesday.
The T20 Challenge, to be played during the IPL play-offs, will begin with last year's finalist Supernovas taking on Velocity in the opening game.
The Indian women's cricket team suffered a five-wicket defeat to England in the second T20 International, surrendering the series with a sixth straight loss in the shortest format.
The Indian women's team will tour Sri Lanka from September 11 to 16 for the third round of the ICC Women's Championship, cricket's governing body announced on Monday.
India beat Pakistan by 95 runs in ICC Women's World Cup match in Derby, UK.
India have been doing well in the 50-over format but they have plenty to ponder about in the shortest form, having lost their previous series in New Zealand 0-3.
India paid the price for dismal batting as they went down to England by two wickets in a thrilling group league encounter of the ICC Women's World Twenty20, in Dharamsala, on Tuesday
Harmanpreet Kaur, who did not get to do much in ODIs in which Mithali Raj was captain, will lead the T20 side.
The Indian cricket fraternity has lauded the women's national team for starting its campaign in the ICC Women's World Cup on a winning note in the United Kingdom.
Indian batting is prone to collapses, especially from a position of strength. Chasing 160, India were going strong at 102 for 1 but Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues's dismissals proved fatal for the visitors who collapsed to 136 all out, bringing back memories of their inexplicable surrender in the 2017 50-over World Cup final against England.
Veteran Mithali Raj's retirement from the T20 format paved the way for the induction of youngsters such as 15-year-old rookie Shafali Verma in the Indian women's team for the upcoming home T20 Internationals against South Africa.
Indian women's cricket team will be eager to pile further misery on South Africa
When the two sides met in the inaugural edition of the ICC Women's Championship in Bengaluru in November 2014, South Africa had won the series 2-1.
We should not be compared to male cricketers, says Mithali Raj
Wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy smashed her way to a brilliant 133 off 115 balls with the Southern Stars piling up a massive 332 for 7.
India will face their biggest challenge so far in the ICC Women's World T20 when they lock horns with a gifted Australian team in an inconsequential game, in Guyana, on Saturday.
A desperate Indian women's team would aim to snap its five-match losing streak in the second T20 International against England, in Guwahati, on Thursday.
Not considered among the top T20 teams in the world, India produced a power-packed performance, winning the opener against a formidable New Zealand side by 34 runs after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's 51-ball 103.
Anuja Patil produced a cameo with the bat to lift the team to 130 and then took three wickets to guide India Women to a 34-run win over Sri Lanka Women in the first Twenty20 International on Monday. With this victory, India Women have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20 series. Opting to bat, India Women posted 130 for six and then managed to restrict Sri Lanka to 96 for seven in 20 overs. Indian eves did not have an ideal start as they lost skipper Mithali Raj (3) and V R Vanitha (12) early to be reeling at 15 for 2 in four overs. But responsible batting by Smriti Mandhana (35) and Harmanpreet Kaur (36) put India back on track. Anuja provided the final flourish after coming in to bat at No.6. She hit three fours during her 22 that came off 17 balls. Left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka. She accounted for the top three and ended with figures of three for 28. Chasing a modest target, Sri Lanka lost opener Yasoda Mendis for eight with Anuja striking in the very first over. In her second over, Anuja returned to dismiss the other opener Chamari Atapattu for a duck to reduce the visitors to 13 for two.
India have four wins in five games but, unfortunately for a team high on potential, it haven't looked like they have identified the brand of cricket that consistently works for it.
After winning the ODI series 2-1, Indian women lost momentum and subsequently the T20 series.
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