Australia Elect to Field as Healy Begins Final Test; Four India Debutants Named

Alyssa Healy won the toss and chose to field as Australia faced India in a historic day-night Test at the WACA Ground in Perth, marking the final international appearance of the Australian captain.

The match is part of the ongoing multi-format series, where Australia lead 8-4. For India, the Test offers a last chance to level the contest after suffering a 3-0 defeat in the ODI leg.

Australia handed a Test debut to 19-year-old left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton, who replaced injured seamer Kim Garth. Hamilton recently made her international debut in the ODI series against India and now earns her maiden Test cap. She received her baggy green from wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney.

Veteran all-rounder Ellyse Perry returned to the side after recovering from a quad strain but will feature only as a specialist batter.

India named four debutants as they returned to the Test format for the first time since mid-2024. Batter Pratika Rawal was slotted at No. 3, while the bowling attack includes three uncapped seamers — Kashvee Gautam, Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur leads a side hoping to replicate their memorable victory over Australia in the previous Test between the teams at Wankhede Stadium in December 2023.

The pitch at the WACA had a grassy covering and was expected to assist seam bowlers early in the match. Healy said patience with the ball would be crucial for Australia’s bowlers.

The match will also be played in challenging weather conditions, with Perth experiencing a heatwave and temperatures forecast to approach 40 degrees Celsius during the opening two days.

With the series on the line and Healy playing her final international match, both teams face a high-stakes contest in Perth.

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