Pratika Rawal ruled out of the one-off Test against England; replacement announced

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Cricket fans are eagerly awaiting India‘s much-anticipated one-off women’s Test against England, which is set to begin on July 10 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The clash promises to be a memorable occasion as two of the strongest teams in women’s cricket lock horns at the historic venue, often referred to as the “Home of Cricket.” With both sides boasting a blend of experienced stars and exciting young talent, expectations are high for a fiercely contested encounter. However, just a day before the match, India suffered an unfortunate setback after losing one of their promising batters to injury.

India’s preparations for the prestigious Test have been disrupted after Pratika Rawal was ruled out due to a knee injury. The star batter sustained a cut on her knee during the second ODI against England and was subsequently unavailable for the third and final match of the series. Despite hopes of a quick recovery, Rawal has now been officially ruled out of the one-off Test at Lord’s.

The injury comes as another frustrating chapter in Rawal’s recent career. Last year, she missed both the semifinal and final of the Women’s ODI World Cup because of injury concerns, before also sitting out the Women’s Premier League. She eventually made her return during India’s ODI tour of Australia and had been working her way back into the national setup.

Earlier this year, Rawal achieved a significant milestone by making her Test debut against Australia at the WACA Ground. Missing the Lord’s Test is therefore a disappointing blow for the young batter, who was hoping to add another memorable chapter to her red-ball journey. Her absence leaves India with one less batting option, forcing the team management to make a late adjustment ahead of one of their biggest assignments of the year.

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The Indian selectors have named Priya Punia as Rawal’s replacement for the Lord’s Test. Punia was already in England as part of the India A squad, making her an ideal choice to join the senior team on short notice. Although Punia is yet to earn her maiden Test cap, she arrives in excellent form. The left-handed batter impressed during the India A tour by scoring back-to-back half-centuries against England A, displaying composure and consistency in English conditions.

Her recent performances have strengthened her case for a place in the playing XI, and the team management will be hopeful that she can carry that momentum into the senior side if given an opportunity. Punia’s inclusion also provides India with an experienced domestic batter who has represented the country in white-ball cricket previously. While replacing Rawal is never straightforward, her familiarity with the conditions could prove valuable during the one-off Test.

Updated India squad for Lord’s Test: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Nandni Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Sneh Rana and Priya Punia

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.