AUS W vs IND W 2026: ‘Really happy with the fight we showed’ - Amol Muzumdar focuses on positives from WACA Test

Amol Muzumdar, head coach of India women, chose to focus on the positives despite the 10-wicket defeat to Australia women in the pink-ball Test at the WACA Ground. Muzumdar praised the debutants for their performances in challenging conditions in Perth.

India handed Test debuts to Pratika Rawal, Kashvee Gautam, Kranti Gaud and Sayali Sathgare in the pink-ball contest. After scoring 18 runs in the first innings, Rawal returned with a maiden half-century in the second innings, making 63 off 137 balls.

Sathgare was the most impressive Indian seamer on display, claiming 4/50 in the first innings. Meanwhile, although Gautam did not take a wicket in the match, her 34 runs lower down the order helped India push their total closer to 200 in the first innings.

“It was really heartening to see all the debutants. Someone like Pratika showed great guts and determination with a half-century here at the WACA in the second innings. Kranti bowled her heart out, and Kashvee and Sayali picked up wickets in the first innings,” said Muzumdar as quoted by The Indian Express.

“A bit disappointing with the result, but I’m really happy with the fight that we showed for the last three days. The conditions were tough, but credit to Australia – they were brilliant in this Test match. At the WACA you expect the ball to swing and seam. If we had put a good score on the board in the first innings, it could have been a different story,” he added.

Playing a pink-ball Test at the WACA Ground presented its own set of challenges, especially under lights when the ball moved considerably. Muzumdar acknowledged the difficulty but stressed that adapting to such conditions is an essential part of international cricket.

“The pink ball was a different challenge. The ball moved quite considerably under lights, but you have to adjust to the conditions. It was the same for both the teams,” said Muzumdar.

India also entered the Test after a hectic white-ball schedule, having played several T20 matches before the tour. The team had recently featured in a T20 series against the Sri Lanka women and the Women's Premier League before travelling to Australia for the multi-format tour. The tour began with T20Is, followed by ODIs, and concluded with the one-off Test match.

“It’s a tough format, there’s no doubt about that. We came in after playing five T20s against Sri Lanka, then the WPL, and immediately after the final, we flew out to Australia and played the T20 series. After that came the multi-format tour. It’s tough, but at the same time, there are no excuses,” said Muzumdar.

Despite the defeat, Muzumdar reiterated that the players value opportunities to play Test cricket and are eager to feature more often in the longest format. The head coach also pointed to the first innings as a crucial phase of the match, suggesting that posting a stronger total could have significantly changed the course of the contest.

“Everyone in the dressing room was looking forward to this pink-ball Test match in Perth. The more Test matches we play, the better it is for the game. A four-day or five-day Test match in the international calendar is always a healthy sign for cricket,” Muzumdar concluded.