Australia are poised to host Tests against England and India during a marathon summer of women's cricket that will serve as their final preparation for the 2022 World Cup.
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Cricket Australia's 2021-22 international schedule, headlined by female and male Ashes series, is expected to be released next week.
AAP understands that CA and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been in long-running talks regarding a landmark Test on the women's tour.
The fixture is yet to be signed off, but hope is building throughout Australian cricket circles that a Test will form part of the season-launching series between two sides that contested last year's Twenty20 World Cup final in front of 86,174 fans at the MCG.
A star-studded women's Big Bash League (WBBL) will fall between Australia's multi-format home series against India and England.
Meg Lanning's team will then head to New Zealand to try to win back the ODI World Cup.
Australia will also compete at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham during a busy 2022, when cricket returns to that event in the form of women's T20s.
Australia's all-conquering women's side have only donned the whites against England during the past 15 years, underlining their desperation to play more Test cricket.
The BCCI flagged a monumental change in tack on this year's International Women's Day, when it confirmed India would play a one-off Test against England.
Since 1991, Australia and India have only once clashed in a women's Test.
"The more nations that are willing to play (Tests), the better it will be for women's cricket around the world," Australia captain Lanning said in March.
"They (India) would be very good at Test match cricket.
"It's obviously a great format within cricket and we don't get the chance to do it that often.
"I know speaking to a lot of players as well, they'd be jumping to get the chance to play more Tests."
Lanning has represented her nation in 195 white-ball fixtures, but only four Tests.
CA has recently led the charge in professionalising women's cricket.
If the BCCI was to also throw its considerable clout behind the women's game, including the mooted prospect of a stand-alone women's Indian Premier League, then it could have a profound effect throughout the sport.
Meanwhile, opener Shafali Verma is set to join Sydney Sixers amid an expected influx of Indian talent in the world's premier female T20 competition.
The past two WBBL seasons haven't featured any Indian players, but many are expected to take part in the seventh edition of the league after completing national-team duties in Australia.
Australian Associated Press
