Pratika Rawal Out Of Lord’s Test; Priya Punia Called Up

Rawal’s Knee Trouble Forces Mid‑Tournament Swap

India’s senior women’s opener, Pratika Rawal, will miss the one‑off Test at Lord’s after a knee injury sustained during an India A fixture in Taunton. While playing against England A earlier this month, she suffered a cut that needed stitches, prompting head coach Amol Muzumdar to rule her out of the red‑ball encounter. The setback marks Rawal’s second serious injury in as many years, following an ankle twist that ended her run at last year’s Women’s ODI World Cup. To cover the void, the Board has named Priya Punia as Rawal’s replacement in the squad.

Punia’s inclusion restores some depth to a side that has been shaping up for its first women’s Test at Lord’s in 142 years. The historic match highlights India’s push to establish a foothold in the longer format, especially after a disappointing group‑stage exit from the recent Women’s T20 World Cup. Muzumdar acknowledged the earlier campaign was a “mixed bag,” but stressed that the team has moved on and is now fully centred on Test preparation.

The coach described a productive training stretch at Wormsley Cricket Club, calling it a “perfect setting” for the red‑ball revamp. Five solid days of work have set the stage for the squad’s focus at Lord’s, where the team hopes to build on the character shown during the T20 fallout. As the side gears up, the emphasis is on turning the recent setbacks into a rallying point for the historic Test debut at the iconic venue.