Sandhya Agrawal optimistic about women embracing Tests

As India attempted to accelerate the scoring in its women’s ODI World Cup clash with Pakistan, former India captain Sandhya Agrawal, seated in the media box at the Holkar Stadium here, could not resist making observations.

“The stance is very broad today. So broad that the lower part is staying in place, which could be a problem, but it suits her,” she exclaimed to The Hindu.

That Sandhya was quick to pick up on nuances of play was barely surprising. India’s first women’s team captain Shantha Rangaswamy cheekily called her Sandhya ‘Technique’ Agrawal.

A mainstay of India for almost a decade, Sandhya served with distinction, with the highlight being a sublime 190 against England in a Test match in 1986, then the highest individual score in women’s cricket. Her microscopic reading of the game held her in good standing as she moved on to coaching and scouting.

Given the frequency of multi-day cricket during her time, Sandhya remains optimistic about the women’s game embracing the longest format eventually.

“India is playing more ODIs and T20s. ICC has said that there should be a Test in every series. Maybe things are slowly changing. I think slowly attention will be given to all formats. Maybe the women will also have something like the World Test Championship that men have. It is possible.”

It’s always fascinating to quiz players on how their generation would hold up in the world of slam-bang T20 cricket. Sandhya brushed off any suggestions of struggle.

“If we had T20, then definitely our game would have changed. We’d play to meet those demands.

“But in our time, there were more Tests. Though if we had played like this… say a scoop shot, they would have thrown us out. But this is the demand now, so it’s not a big deal. Scenarios change, everything will change,” she says.