India women's head coach Amol Muzumdar has expressed bewilderment that Lord's Cricket Ground is staging its first-ever women's Test match this Friday, 142 years after the venue hosted its inaugural men's Test.
Speaking ahead of the one-off match against England, Muzumdar said the squad has eagerly anticipated this event since before the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
“It just boggles my mind that it is just the first Test match here at Lord's,” Muzumdar told reporters.
“Having said that, I am really fortunate and would like to extend my wishes to everyone involved.
It is a great occasion and we are looking forward to it.”
A Dream for Every Cricketer
The coach, who played 171 first-class matches, emphasized the unique pride of representing India in the longest format at the historic London ground.
“It is a dream to play a Test match for any Indian cricketer, leave alone playing at Lord's,” he said.
“I am sure everyone who wears those whites tomorrow would be proud to be there.”
Muzumdar noted the team's strong historical record in Test matches, making the fixture a frequent topic in the dressing room.
“We have always maintained that traditionally we have done really well in Tests,” he said.
“Everyone was talking about the game at Lord's even before the T20 World Cup started.”
Following an early exit from the T20 World Cup, the Indian team prepared at Wormsley Cricket Ground for a rare red-ball appearance, having last played a Test in March.
“We can't change what happened in the T20 World Cup,” Muzumdar said.
“All we need to do is look forward and prepare the best we can for the event ahead.”
Personal Memories and Future Hopes
Reflecting on his history with Lord's, Muzumdar recalled watching Sourav Ganguly score his first Test century and Rahul Dravid make his debut at the venue in 1996.
“I was playing club cricket up north in Yorkshire and came to watch the Test match,” he said.
“I saw a superlative 100 from Sourav while sitting in that stand. Some great memories.”
Looking ahead to the four-day match, Muzumdar dismissed concerns about the ground's slope and strongly advocated for more women's long-format fixtures.
“Red ball cricket is always exciting. It brings different challenges—bowling 100 overs in a day,” he said.
“Different challenges, different excitement, different ability comes to the fore. Test cricket will always be Test cricket.”
