ENG vs IND - Amol Muzumdar urges India to 'stay in the present' after T20 World Cup malfunction

Forget the 2026 T20 World Cup and “stay in the present” is the mantra Amol Muzumdar, India’s head coach, is advocating within the group as they look to salvage their English summer during a historic first-ever women’s Test at Lord’s starting on Friday.

India were knocked out of what was dubbed the group of death, following losses to South Africa and Australia. This meant they couldn’t give themselves a shot at being title holders of both the ODI and the T20 World Cup simultaneously.

Their inability now to go beyond the group stages in back-to-back T20 World Cups has elicited chatter around team combinations and even Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy, but the selectors have resisted any major shake-up for the moment.

“What is gone, we cannot change it. We have discussed about it within the squad,” Muzumdar said on Wednesday afternoon. “All we need to do is look forward and prepare the best we can for the event ahead. So I guess that’s been the talk. I’m sure all the players are looking forward for the Test match. Just leave aside the disappointment and get into the present.”

Asked about the prospect of playing Test cricket – far and few in between – Muzumdar impressed upon the need to simply enjoy the occasion. England, for instance, haven’t played a Test since January 2025, while India will be playing their second this year, following their 295-run loss to Australia in Perth.

“I think the first one will always be special,” he said. “The first-ever World Cup win was special. The first-ever Test match at Lord’s will be special. Just looking forward to the next four to five years, what women’s cricket will bring. You never know.

“Just have to explore those dynamics [of playing women’s Tests]. And the more we do it, the more people turn up, the more popular the women’s game becomes, the better it is for everyone. So, I guess this Lord’s Test Match is a special one.”

In a bid to ensure more opportunities for the top players, the BCCI reintroduced the women’s multi-day competition in 2024 through an inter-zonal format. However, the fact that it comes at the back end of the season following the WPL has meant it has always been looked at as an afterthought in the calendar.

The current squad features only two players who were part of that tournament: fast bowler Sayali Satghare and batter Priya Punia. The other player to feature, Pratika Rawal, has now been ruled out of the Test due to a knee injury.

“Test cricket will always be Test cricket. Personally, calling me an old timer, red-ball cricket brings a lot of excitement.”

Amol Muzumdar

“Look, I mean, again, domestic cricket, we restarted the red-ball tournament in the last three or four years and it has thrown in a lot of players,” Muzumdar countered when asked about a format that isn’t played often enough to incentivise players.

“There’s another Test match this year against South Africa, so we are playing more Test matches within the year than in the last few years. So I guess it is just about adjustment, just a click in your mind. If you’re a professional cricketer, I personally feel that it just should be a click in your mind about playing red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket. There’s not much of a difference.

“Red-ball cricket is always exciting, and it brings different challenges. You’ve got to bowl 100 overs [in a day], and it’s a four-day game. I guess different challenges, different excitement, different abilities come to the fore. So, I guess Test cricket will always be Test cricket. Personally, calling me an old timer, red-ball cricket brings a lot of excitement. In this squad at least, what I’ve seen in the dressing room, they’re all looking forward to the Test match, and they’re geared up for it.”

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