IND-W vs AUS-W: Here's why Indian women's team was wearing pink jersey in final ODI vs Australia

Records were broken left, right and centre on Saturday (Sep 20) as the Indian women’s team took on Australia as they prepared for the upcoming ODI World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. While the contest had a lot riding on it, it was the Indian women’s team that made the headlines. If you were tuning into the India-Australia women’s match and wondering why the Women in Blue have traded their usual jersey for pink in the final ODI against the visitors at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, here is the reason.

Why was Indian women’s team wearing pink?

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The team was wearing pink to promote breast cancer awareness. This was the first time that India’s women’s team has sported this special jersey. The Board of Control for Cricket in India released a video ahead of the decider in which captain Harmanpreet Kaur said, “Let us make breast self-examination a monthly routine and take a stand against breast cancer.”

According to the National Library of Medicine, female breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality in India. The disease accounted for 13.5% of new cancer cases and 10% of cancer-related deaths in 2020.

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In Australia, the Pink Test is held every year at the Sydney Cricket Ground to raise awareness about breast cancer. The entire stadium is transformed, and players wear pink clothing. Former Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath lost his wife, Jane, to the disease. After her diagnosis, McGrath founded the McGrath Foundation, which has since collaborated with Cricket Australia every year to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer patients.

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Similar Causes in the Past

India’s men’s team has also worn special kits in the past to promote different causes and pay tribute. In 2019, the men’s team wore camouflage caps to honour the soldiers who died in the Pulwama terrorist attack during an ODI against Australia in Ranchi. In 2016, MS Dhoni’s India wore jerseys with their mothers’ names on the back as a gesture of love and recognition for the strongest women in their lives.

Series Decider

Saturday’s game is crucial for the Indian team, with the series currently level at 1–1. India lost the opening ODI of the series by eight wickets but came back stronger in the second ODI, handing Australia their heaviest defeat by runs, a massive 102-run margin. The win also ended the Women in Blue’s eight-match losing streak against Australia in ODIs.

If India win today, they will secure their first-ever bilateral ODI series victory over Australia. This match also serves as their last piece of competitive action before the much-awaited Women’s ODI World Cup, which begins on 30 September in Guwahati.

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