Amol Muzumdar urges India Women to stay in present ahead of Lord’s Test

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Ahead of his side’s historic one-off Test against England at Lord’s, Indian women’s team head coach Amol Muzumdar urged his side to put aside the disappointment of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and focus on the present.

The Women in Blue recently faced successive group-stage eliminations in the 2024 and 2026 editions of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Shifting formats, this upcoming red-ball match offers an opportunity for the team to bounce back in traditional whites at the legendary ‘Home of Cricket’.

Reflecting on the team’s mindset during his pre-match press conference, Muzumdar said,

“What is gone, we cannot change it. We have discussed it within the squad. All we need to do is look forward and prepare the best we can for the event ahead. So I guess that has been the talk. I am sure all the players are looking forward to the Test match. Just leave aside the disappointment and get into the present.”

Muzumdar urges his side to embrace the Test match at Lord’s

When asked about adjusting to the rare nature of women’s Test match cricket, Muzumdar emphasised that the players simply need to relish the moment. Opportunities in the longest format remain limited, with England having not featured in a Test since January of last year, while India will be stepping onto the field for only their second multi-day match of the year, following a heavy 10-wicket defeat against Australia in Perth.

The head coach noted that much like a country’s first World Cup title is ‘always special’, walking out for a maiden Test match at Lord’s carries an equal amount of weight.

“Just looking forward to the next four to five years, what women’s cricket will bring. You never know,” he said.

“Just have to explore those dynamics [of playing women’s Tests]. And the more we do it, the more people turn up, the more popular the women’s game becomes, the better it is for everyone. So, I guess this Lord’s Test Match is a special one,” he concluded.

Amol Muzumdar also confirmed that opener Pratika Rawal sustained a laceration on her knee that required medical stitches, and Priya Punia has been drafted in as her replacement. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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