India leave for return series with England

The Indian women's team left Mumbai on Monday (July 24) for a six-week tour of England and Ireland which kicks off on Saturday with the first of two one-dayers against Ireland.

The main part of the tour will follow when India meet England in two Tests, five one-dayers, and the first Twenty20 match involving an Indian national side.

The Indians come into the series well prepared after attending a three-week training camp in Mysore.

This will be the second series in less then eight months between the two sides. England, led by Charlotte Edwards, lost the five-match one-day series 1-4 and drawn the one-off Test over the winter.

The players leave in high spirits, just days after receiving a major financial boost following the merger between the Indian board (BCCI) and the Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI). Each team member and official of the touring party have been given traveller's cheques and currency worth $2000, in addition to a daily allowance of $50. It was also announced that the team would wear the official BCCI crest on the clothing and blazers. According to a board official, Nike, the Indian team's official kit sponsor, also offered to support the women's team. However, that is unlikely to happen soon as the WCAI has a contract with Sahara till December 2007.