The 1998-99 India in Australia Tour

Lore & Background

The British brought cricket to India in the early 1700s, with the first cricket match played in 1721. Women's cricket arrived in India much later; the Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI) was formed in 1973. The Indian women's team played their first Test match in 1976, against the West Indies. India recorded its first-ever Test win in November 1976 against West Indies under Shantha Rangaswamy's captaincy at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna. In 2022, Indian Women script history by winning 1st series on England soil in 23 years. In July 2025, India clinched their first-ever Women's T20I series win against England. In November 2025, India won their first Women's Cricket World Cup, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Reader's Guide

The team has played 43 Test matches, winning 9, losing 7, and with 27 ending in draws. The team has played 345 ODI matches, winning 188, losing 150, tying 2, and with 5 ending in a no-result. India has won the World Cup once in 2025. India have also won the ODI Asia Cup, a record four times in 2004, 2005-06, 2006, and 2008. The team has played 226 T20I matches, winning 124, losing 95, tying 1, and with 6 ending in a no-result. India have also won the T20I Asia Cup, a record three times in 2012, 2016, and 2022. In addition, India have also won gold at the Asian Games in 2022, and won silver at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Did You Know?

• India's first international match, on 31 October 1976, was a Test against the West Indies at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore which ended in a draw.
• India has reached the World Cup final on three occasions, losing to Australia by 98 runs in 2005, and to England by 9 runs in 2017, and winning against South Africa by 52 runs in 2025.
• India has reached the finals of the T20 World Cup once, losing to Australia by 85 runs in 2020.
• The highest individual score in Tests for India is 214 by Mithali Raj v England, 14 August 2002 at County Ground, Taunton, England.