Key facts
- Women's Test cricket matches remain rare and infrequently scheduled
- Structural gaps persist in pay, preparation and facilities vs men's cricket
- Women's IPL growth has not led to expanded Test opportunities
Test cricket for women remains a format marked by structural inequality, with opportunities, scheduling, and institutional support lagging far behind the men's game despite the rapid rise of women's cricket as a commercial and cultural force. The Indian Express takes an unflinching look at why the longest and most prestigious format continues to be an uneven playing field for women players worldwide.
The core disparity is one of opportunity: women Test matches remain rare events, squeezed into tours rather than planned as the centrepiece of a cricketing calendar. Players who excel in ODIs and T20s can spend years without playing a Test match, disrupting continuity and making it difficult to develop the skills and temperament the format demands. For Indian women players in particular, the lack of regular red-ball cricket is a structural disadvantage.
The commercial explosion of women's cricket — driven by the Women's IPL and rising broadcast interest — has yet to translate into a meaningful Test programme. Critics argue that boards find it easier to monetise T20 cricket and have little financial incentive to invest in the longer format, even as the cricketers themselves express a desire to play more Tests.
For the women's game to truly reach parity, the argument goes, Test cricket must be treated as a priority rather than an occasional novelty. The conversation is especially relevant now, as Smriti Mandhana and her generation are at their peak and deserve the chance to prove themselves across all three formats at the highest level.