Pratika Rawal, Vaishnavi Sharma Get Maiden Test Call-Ups for Australia Tour

Pratika Rawal and Vaishnavi Sharma have received their maiden Test call-ups for India's tour of Australia, alongside Kranti Gaud. The 15-member squad, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will play a one-off Test match in Perth from March 6 to 9, following a white-ball series. Pratika, a World Cup winner, has recovered from an ankle injury and brings a strong ODI record of 1,110 runs in 24 matches. Vaishnavi, 20, impressed in the U19 World Cup and has played five T20Is for India. Vaishnavi Sharma, just 20, has impressed India selectors with her bold approach, flying the ball even in white-ball cricket where it risks getting hit. Her attitude's caught attention, especially given Australia's pitches have been tough for spin in recent men's Tests. She's played 5 T20Is for India since debuting Dec last year. India will face Australia in three T20Is and three ODIs between February 15 and March 1, with the one-off Test scheduled to run from March 6 to 9 in Perth. Harmanpreet Kaur is leading India's 15-member squad for the Australia tour, with Smriti Mandhana as her deputy. Both have extensive experience playing in Australia, having participated in the Women's Big Bash League. Jemimah Rodrigues, known for her stellar hundred that knocked Australia out of the ODI World Cup, is also part of the squad. The batting unit remains largely unchanged from India's last Test match against South Africa in June 2024. Uma Chetry is backing up Richa Ghosh as wicketkeeper, replacing the injured G Kamalini. Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry (wk), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare