Rawal out of historic Lord's Test, Punia replaces

The Indian women's cricket team has suffered a significant setback ahead of its historic one-off Test against England, with opening batter Pratika Rawal ruled out due to a knee injury. The match is scheduled to begin on Friday, July 10, at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, marking the first women's Test to be played at the iconic venue.

Head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed the news on Wednesday, July 8, stating Rawal sustained a severe cut on her knee while fielding during an India A 50-over match against England A in Taunton last week. The injury required multiple stitches, making her unavailable for the upcoming Test. In her absence, the national selection committee has drafted top-order batter Priya Punia into the senior squad as her replacement.

Punia, who has played 12 ODIs and three T20Is for India, was already in England with the India A team and had remained as cover. She batted in the senior team's net session on Wednesday following her call-up. Punia arrives in good form, having scored back-to-back half-centuries for India A against England A in recent matches.

Rawal's absence is a blow to India's batting lineup, particularly given her recent form and experience. The...