Women's T20: Harmanpreet to lead strong India A side against Australia A

The matches are to be played with a day's gap at the Mumbai Cricket Association's facility at the Bandra-Kurla Complex

India A women's team will clash with Australia A in a three-match T20 series beginning here Monday as a tune-up for next month's T2 World Cup in the West Indies. The India A team announced for the series is the same that will represent the senior team at the women's T20 World Cup and as such the series will offer the hosts a good platform to test their strengths and shortcomings.

The matches are to be played with a day's gap at the Mumbai Cricket Association's facility at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) here. India A had suffered a 3-0 loss against the visitors in the ODIs but the hosts, at full strength, will be a force to reckon with in the shortest format of the game.

With experienced campaigners like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj in the home team's ranks, the Aussies will have a tougher time.

The three batters would be obviously keen to make most of the opportunity before the World Cup along with young all-rounder Jemimah Rodrigues. The home team bowlers would also get a good chance to work on their weaknesses before heading to the West Indies.

Squads:

India A: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Mithali Raj, Jemimah Rodrigues, Veda Krishnamurthy, Deepti Sharma, Tanya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Anuja Patil, Ekta Bisht, D Hemalatha, Mansi Joshi, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy

Australia A: Samantha Bates, Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Piepa Cleary, Josephine Dooley, Heather Graham, Sammy Jo Johnson, Tahlia McGrath, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Redmayne, Naomi Stalenberg, Molly Strano, Belinda Vakarewa, Amanda-Jade Wellington