Australian spin legend Jess Jonassen is excited about the possibility of encountering spin-friendly scenarios as the national women’s team are set to play three Test matches in the space of seven months. Notably, the Aussies will play the Women’s Ashes next month and a one-off Test against India after Christmas.
Having played four Tests against England in her splendid career, Jonassen has taken six wickets. The veteran tweaker expressed her enthusiasm for playing the red-ball cricket and emphasised the women’s team’s love for the longest format. Jonassen was also excited at the inclusion of an additional day in the Women’s Ashes Test, which allows for more possibilities to achieve results, particularly in the UK where weather conditions, such as intermittent rain, may affect play.
The Test matches scheduled at Perth, Nottingham (Trent Bridge), and an undisclosed venue in India seem to present a range of conditions that Jonassen would be focusing to capitalize on.
“We always love having the opportunity to play Test match cricket. It’s been few and far between over the years. I think being able to play that extra day (in the Ashes Test) is something we’ve been crying out for a little bit. To have that added dynamic to it, particularly in the UK, when there’s a little bit of wet weather around here and there, it’d be nice to have the opportunity to force more results,” said Jonassen as quoted by cricket.com.au.
Jonassen said she is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to play a Test match in India. She mentioned that the conditions might be somewhat unknown, but the Aussies have closely observed numerous men’s Test matches held in India.
“(And) as a spin bowler, I’m really looking forward to playing a Test match (in India). It’ll be a little bit of an unknown, but from watching a lot of the men’s Tests over there, I think it’ll be quite heavily spin dominant, which I’m really looking forward to,” added Jonassen.
For the unversed, the Australian women’s team has a limited exposure to Test matches in India as they toured only once for a series in 1984, which resulted in four consecutive draws. Then, India visited Australia for a three-match Test leg in 1990-91, where the hosts emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline. Since then, India have played two more one-off Tests in Australia, suffering a defeat in 2006 and securing a draw in 2021.
