India women's team (Source: AFP)
After a disappointing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. have turned their attention to a new challenge.
India and England women will play their historic one-off Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The 4-day match is scheduled for July 10 to July 13, 2026, with play starting daily at 11:00 AM local time (3:30 PM IST).
IND-W vs ENG-W One-off Test: History in the making
The marquee fixture marks the first time a Women's Test will be hosted at the Home of Cricket, Lord's, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first England Women's team match there. Moreover, it comes 142 years after the ground hosted its first men's Test.
This red-ball clash follows the bilateral T20I series and the T20 World Cup.
Naturally, the occasion has generated massive global and local interest, with over 30,000 tickets sold, setting a new UK women’s Test attendance record.
However, beyond the historical significance, women’s and men’s Test matches differ immensely in many ways. Thus, in this article, let’s look at the factors that make the two so different despite being essentially the same format.
Men’s Test vs Women’s Test: Format differentiation
Men’s and Women’s Test matches both follow the fundamental laws of cricket, but they differ significantly in duration, ball weight, field dimensions, and review technology.
The most prominent historic example of the format is the England Women vs India Women fixture at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground.
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The primary differences between the two formats include:
1) Duration
Men's Tests are played over five days (maximum 90 overs per day), whereas Women's Tests are played over four days.
2) Overs per Day
Women's Tests require a higher daily quota of 100 overs (17 overs per hour) compared to 90 overs (15 overs per hour) in the men's game.
3) Ball Weight
A women's cricket ball is slightly lighter, weighing between 4.93 to 5.31 ounces (139.9 to 150.8 grams), compared to the men’s ball, which weighs 5.5 to 5.75 ounces (155.9 to 163.0 grams).
4) Boundary Dimensions
Women's Test boundaries are shorter, ranging between 55 to 70 yards (50.29 to 64.01 m), whereas men’s boundaries extend from 65 to 90 yards (59.44 to 82.30 m).
5) Review Technology
Men's Tests utilise the full Decision Review System (DRS) with ball tracking and UltraEdge. DRS has been largely unavailable in Women's Test matches for the longest time. While it has been successfully implemented in major matches such as the Women's Ashes (e.g., the pink-ball Test at the WACA in Perth), it is not guaranteed for all bilateral women's Tests.
For instance, the December 2024 one-off Test between South Africa women and England women sparked controversy and player frustration because it was played without DRS, resulting in contentious umpire decisions.
Why is the Women’s Test held for four days as opposed to the Men’s 5-day?
Women’s Test matches have traditionally been played over four days as opposed to five in the men’s game. This is believed to be due to a combination of historical convention, limited long-form experience among players, and the financial and scheduling dominance of limited-overs formats (ODI and T20) in women's cricket.
However, over the years, many female cricketers have advocated the need for more Test matches to be held and played over five days.
For instance, England captain Heather Knight backed five-day Tests. Moreover, a frustrated England bowler, Kate Cross, said women cricketers were fit enough to cope with the physical demands of longer matches after the drawn Ashes Test in January 2022.
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