Issy Wong India cricket England World Cup Test cricket

Issy Wong returned to international cricket last week. The T20I against New Zealand in Canterbury was the seamer’s first match for England in close to a year. Now she is excited for the three-match T20I series against India, starting on Thursday in Chelmsford.

“When you spend that bit of time away from the national team, it does make coming back sweeter,” Wong told The Hindu over the phone. “Being able to represent my country and play cricket at the highest level is something that will always make me immensely proud.”

She believes the India series is huge. “Anytime India is in town, it is really good,” the 24-year-old said. “The noise that surrounds it (series), both with the media and on the side of the pitch with the spectators, is always high. It is a massive opportunity for us, and it is exciting as well.”

The T20I series will be followed by a one-off Test at Lord’s in July. “I love Test cricket,” Wong said. “I get the scheduling reasons and stuff as it is pretty tricky to fit more into the schedule. In the last few years, we have seen quite a sharp uptake of women’s Tests. I hope it continues.”

England will also be hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup from June 12. Wong feels that it will be difficult to pick the favourites. “We just had a really competitive series against New Zealand, who are the reigning World champs at the moment,” she said.

“We obviously know that the talent Australia, India and South Africa have is enormous. But, the brilliant thing about cricket is that it is an individual team sport, isn’t it? So, any team is one individual, brilliant performance away from beating anyone else.”

(Watch India Women’s Tour of England starting on May 28, from 11 p.m. IST onwards, live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD and Sony LIV).