LATEST: Test match pressure is felt by players, according to England batter Tammy Beaumont.

England’s batter Tammy Beaumont has acknowledged that players “feel more anxious” before a Test as they get ready to play India in a one-off match starting on Thursday at the DY Patil Stadium.

England has played most of its Test matches at home; the most recent one was at Trent Bridge in June, which Australia triumphed by 89 runs.

England’s most recent overseas red-ball cricket match ended in a thrilling tie with Australia in January 2022.

Because women’s Test matches are one-off games in multi-format series, Beaumont believes that players are more nervous while playing in the longest format because it is not played as frequently.

“You certainly feel more anxious around a Test match week,” she said during a press conference.

“If you think of it as white-ball cricket, that is your first year. People like Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and myself have been playing international cricket for 12–14 years, and we haven’t even played that many Test matches—maybe 10 or 12.

“So, there are more nerves because we haven’t had the opportunity to master it. You are constantly a young player in Test cricket, no matter how old your body feels. In the men’s game 10 Tests is not even a career, it’s a start.

“I love Test cricket and each and every one of us would love to play more Test cricket and I’m almost interested to see what India do with the Australia Test match straight after, so if that goes well, I could see a future doing two-Test or three-Test series against the top nations, which I think would be amazing.”

Following a 2-1 victory in their most recent three-match Twenty20 series at Wankhede Stadium, England concludes their tour of India with the Test match.

Beaumont will be trying to carry over some of her summer form despite the time between Tests.

The right-hander became the first English woman to achieve a double-century in a Test match when she struck 208 against Australia.

She continued, saying, “(We’re) not coming in with too many preconceived notions about how the surface will play or what an Indian Test match may entail.

“We have found the wickets have played nicely and there’s a bit in it for the bowlers and batters, so not thinking you have to work on playing spin so much but it’s been a really good preparation period.

“Talking about something that happened six months ago (her double-hundred against Australia) can’t really count as form but certainly nice to know that was your last Test match and you go in with a lot of confidence.”

Since 2005, England has not played a Test match in India before.

Beaumont hopes to maintain the enthusiasm in women’s cricket that was sparked by the Ashes and The Hundred’s success in the summer.

“It’s good that we got the broadcast deal so people can watch it back home,” she said.

“On the whole it has been really positive as we got a lot of sellouts in the Ashes and into the Hundred the crowds every week were a record crowd.

“I think people are really taking notice of women’s cricket in England which is good to see and hopefully they will be right behind us for the Test as well.

“We want to inspire the next generation of female cricketers, not only in England but across the world, so we will be playing a way of cricket that people will want to watch.”