Australia A v India A multi-format: All you need to know

Multi-format series facts

Schedule First T20: August 7, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 6pm AEST Second T20: August 9, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 6pm AEST Third T20: August 10, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 6pm AEST First one-dayer: August 13, Northern Suburbs Cricket Club, Brisbane, 9.30am AEST Second one-dayer: August 15, Northern Suburbs Cricket Club, Brisbane, 9.30am AEST Third one-dayer: August 17, Northern Suburbs Cricket Club, Brisbane, 9.30am AEST Only four-day game: August 21-24, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 9:30am AEST How to watch or listen in Australia: All matches will be streamed live on cricket.com.au and Kayo Sports. Live scores: Match Centre Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au and the CA Live app

A combination of Australian stars and the country’s most promising young domestic talent will feature in the multi-format series in Mackay and Brisbane.

The multi-format series is part of an ongoing four-year agreement between Australia and India. Last year, in a multi-format tour also played across Queensland, Australia A took out the T20 leg 2-1 and swept the one-dayers 3-0, before an enthralling four-day contest saw the hosts secure a 45-run final-day win.

Squads

Australia A squads

T20 squad: Nicole Faltum (c), Tahlia Wilson (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Alyssa Healy, Anika Learoyd, Madeline Penna, Rachel Trenaman, Courtney Webb

50-Over squad: Tahlia McGrath (c), Nicole Faltum (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Darcie Brown, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Ella Hayward, Alyssa Healy, Anika Learoyd, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson

Four-Day squad: Tahlia Wilson (c), Nicole Faltum (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Ella Hayward, Anika Learoyd, Maitlan Brown, Lilly Mills, Georgia Prestwidge, Rachel Trenaman, Courtney Webb

Tess Flintoff will have an opportunity to push her case for World cup selection this August, while the series will also mark captain Alyssa Healy’s return from injury.

Flintoff, who has yet to debut for Australia but who has been awarded a national contract for the first time for 2025-26, and Healy are among five CA-contracted players who will feature in the 50-over leg of the multi-format tour as they build towards the ODI World Cup in India.

Australia vice-captain Tahlia McGrath will also take part in the three one-day matches in Brisbane – and will captain Australia A with Nicole Faltum serving as deputy – as will Kim Garth and Darcie Brown.

Healy has also been included in the T20 squad. Charli Knott was initially set to hold leadership roles across all three formats before her late call-up to The Hundred.

India A squads

T20 squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, D. Vrinda, Sajana Sajeevan, Uma Chetry (wk), Raghvi Bist, Prema Rawat, Nandini Kashyap (WK), Tanuja Kanwer, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Dhara Gujjar

50-over squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Tanushree Sarkar, Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Nandini Kashyap (WK), Dhara Gujjar, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Prema Rawat, Yastika Bhatia

Four-day squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Tanushree Sarkar, Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Dhara Gujjar, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Prema Rawat

Like Australia, India A have also included a combination of senior international players alongside rising talent.

Experienced spinner Radya Yadav is leading the sides across all formats, while explosive opener Shafali Verma will also feature alongside another internationally capped batter in Yastika Bhatia.

The series could be particularly important for Verma, who recently earned a recall to India’s T20I XI but who is still on the outer in the 50-over format. Both she and Bhatia will be eager to press a case for inclusion in India’s squad for their home ODI World Cup in October.

Why are so many senior Aussie players involved?

Australia have not played since their three-game T20 tour of New Zealand in March, and their only series ahead of the World Cup will be three ODIs in India in September, making the ‘A’ matches an ideal opportunity for a number if players to prepare for the showpiece tournament.

Eleven of Australia’s other contracted players will be in action in The Hundred in August.

The series is particularly important for Healy, who will be looking to put a difficult year of injuries behind her, after she missed the semi-final of last year’s T20 World Cup with a foot injury, while a knee complaint ended her WBBL season prematurely. The 35-year-old also missed an ODI series against India last December, and the T20I tour of New Zealand alongside the WPL earlier this year as she looked to overcome her foot injury.

However, the three-game T20 leg of the tour in Mackay and red-ball ‘A’ match in Brisbane will feature the next generation alongside more experienced players hoping to break into the national side, with Nicole Faltum (T20) and Tahlia Wilson (four-day) to lead those sides.

Faltum was called into Australia’s T20I squad in New Zealand in March but did not debut.

Players to watch

Alyssa Healy

Safe to say, all eyes will be on the Australian captain as she makes her first appearance since her injury-plagued 2024-25 summer. The matches will mark her first since the Ashes at the start of the year, when she missed games with a stress fracture in her foot and did not keep wicket in others.

With Tahlia McGrath to captain the 50-over games and Nicole Faltum the T20s, Healy will be purely focused on fine-tuning her batting and ‘keeping ahead of the World Cup in India. Healy won't take the gloves for the T20s, but she will be behind the stumps for the three one-day matches.

Tess Flintoff

Uncapped Victoria allrounder Flintoff became the first woman to earn a CA contract before having made her senior international debut since Beth Mooney and Grace Harris in 2015-16.

Long touted as an Australian prospect, injuries had stagnated Flintoff's progress in recent seasons but after a preseason training with the Aussies, she will be eager to make a case for World Cup selection.

Ella Hayward

Hayward enjoyed a stellar breakout domestic season in 2024-25 for Victoria to be named their player of the season. Taking over Meg Lanning's No.3 position in the batting line-up, Hayward finished among the top run scorers while also making an impact with her off-spin.

03:12 Play video Hayward leads Vics to victory with first WNCL ton

Shafali Verma

Sensationally dropped by India last year, the former teen prodigy has been busy working on her game, dominating India's domestic competition before earning a T20 recall for India's recent tour of England. She remains on the outer in ODIs, however - she was not even included in the squad for the 50-over leg of the UK trip - and this tour could be her final chance to prove she deserves a spot at her home World Cup in October.

Radha Yadav

Fresh off India's white-ball tour of England, experienced left-arm spinner Radha Yadav takes the reins as captain across all three formats for this A tour. A fierce competitor and elite athlete on the field, she will set the standard for her teammates. Yadav's played almost 90 T20Is but just eight one-dayers, and like Verma, she will be keen to ensure she is selected for the upcoming World Cup.

01:59 Play video Watch all 11 of Minnu Mani's wickets against Aus A

Minnu Mani

The off-spinner took last year's India A tour of Australia by storm, including taking 11 wickets in the red-ball game. Those displays saw her make her ODI debut in Brisbane last December, but after three appearances in the format she again fell out of favour. With a home World Cup looming, she has a chance to make her case for selection, while she will also build her leadership credentials serving as Radha Yadav's deputy.

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