English skipper, Heather Knight has acknowledged the one-off Test between England and India as a prime advertisement for the game saying she would love to see five-day tests for women.
Earlier, a sensational knock from Sneh Rana saved the one-off Test for India as England was unable to tear the lower order on the fourth and final day in Bristol on Saturday as the visitors earned a hard-fought draw. At one stage, Indian women found themselves at 199/7, but the lower-order scripted a memorable fightback and Rana led the charge with her unbeaten knock of 80 and helped the Indian side in walking away with a draw as England did not even come out to bat in the second innings.
"What a brilliant game of cricket," ESPNcricinfo quoted Knight, the England captain. "It was unfortunate it didn't have the dramatic and exciting finish that it could have done but what a game of cricket.
"I think it's almost a shame that today it fizzled out a little bit. It was set up to be very good and very exciting, but I think it's been a brilliant advert. We've had some great skills on show, some youngsters come in from both sides and play outstandingly.
"It's been a great advert and shows that women's Test cricket has a place in the game."
Asked whether she would be open to women playing five-day Tests, Knight wholeheartedly agreed. "I would definitely be open to it," she said. "There's obviously been a lot of draws in women's cricket, in previous games, so yeah, it's definitely something I think that should be looked at.
Mithali Raj, the Indian captain, weigh down her thoughts on five-day tests as she said, "It's a good idea to have a five-day Test but [first] we actually have to start [having] Test matches regularly. "Having a Test match featuring in a series is important and then take it to five days... I understand from where she [Knight] comes. I'm okay with five-day Tests also, but I would prefer having a Test match first in a series and then take it from there."
India is now slated to lock horns against Australia in a women's day-night Test match. The historic Test match will be the first between the Australian and Indian women's teams in 15 years, and India's first-ever women's day-night Test.
( With inputs from ANI )
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