Five months ago in England, India A and England A finished level, with each side winning one white-ball series 2-1. Now the rematch comes to India, and the BCCI has gone with two captains for the all-format home series.
Anushka Sharma will lead India A in the three T20s and three one-day matches. Minnu Mani will captain the side in the multi-day fixture. The women's selection committee has also made Minnu Anushka's deputy in both white-ball formats, while Tejal Hasabnis will be vice-captain for the multi-day game.
The series opens with the T20s at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune from November 30 to December 5. It then moves to Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, which hosts the one-dayers and the multi-day contest from December 8 to 19.
More than an A-tour
The squads suggest the selectors are using the series to prepare players for the senior team as well as to look at new talent. Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil and pacer Saima Thakor are in all three squads, which shows they are seen as players for every format.
The clearest example is Amanjot Kaur. The all-rounder has been picked only for the T20s, and the reason is plain: she is already in India's T20I squad for the South Africa series in December. The Pune matches give her competitive overs just before she returns to international cricket.
Kashvee Gautam, picked for the T20 and one-day legs, also has something to prove. She recently returned through the Senior Women's T20 Trophy after recovering from a right knee injury, and this series is her first big test since. Young wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini, regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Indian women's cricket, has also been included.
The T20 squad also includes batters Tanisha Singh and Sanika Chalke, all-rounder Prema Rawat and pacer Monica Patel. In the one-day group, wicketkeeper-batter Shipra Giri and left-arm spinner Amisha Bahukandi add depth.
A fresh look for the red-ball side
The multi-day squad shows the biggest changes. Amisha, Shipra, batters Shubha Satheesh and Purvaja Verlekar, and pacers Henreitta Perera and Happy Kumari are the new faces. Women's multi-day cricket is played rarely, so every first-class-style match helps decide who can step up when India next plays a Test.
For England A, Mumbai and Pune will be a different test after June's home conditions. For India A, the aim is simple: win at home and build on the 2-1 one-day series win from the summer.
India A squad for T20s: Vrinda Dinesh, Tanisha Singh, Sanika Chalke, Anushka Sharma (C), Niki Prasad, G Kamalini (WK), Shipra Giri (WK), Minnu Mani (VC), Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Vaishnavi Sharma, Prema Rawat, Saima Thakor, Monica Patel, Kashvee Gautam
India A squad for one-day matches: Vrinda Dinesh, Tanisha Singh, Priya Punia, Anushka Sharma (C), Niki Prasad, G Kamalini (WK), Shipra Giri (WK), Minnu Mani (VC), Tejal Hasabnis, Shreyanka Patil, Amisha Bahukandi, Shabnam Shakil, Saima Thakor, Akshita Bhagat, Kashvee Gautam
India A squad for the multi-day match: Shubha Satheesh, Priya Punia, Tanisha Singh, Purvaja Verlekar, Henreitta Perera, Tejal Hasabnis (VC), Shipra Giri (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Minnu Mani (C), Shreyanka Patil, Saima Thakor, Akshita Bhagat, Amisha Bahukandi, Happy Kumari, Shabnam Shakil
With inputs from IANS