Priya Punia Replaces Injured Pratika Rawal for Historic Women’s Test at Lord’s

India batter Priya Punia has been named as the replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal ahead of the one-off women’s Test against England at Lord’s. The match will be a historic occasion as Lord’s is set to host a women’s Test for the first time.

Rawal suffered a laceration around her right knee while fielding during India A’s second 50-over match against England A in Taunton. India head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed that the injury required stitches, forcing the top-order batter to miss the landmark Test.

Punia has earned her place after an impressive run on the India A tour of England. She finished as India’s highest run-scorer with 171 runs in three matches and backed up her form with two successive half-centuries.

The left-handed batter is yet to make her Test debut, but her recent performances have put her in strong contention for a place in the playing XI. She is expected to compete with Harleen Deol and Yastika Bhatia for the No. 3 spot in India’s batting order.

The one-off Test is expected to be a memorable event, with Lord’s preparing to stage its first-ever women’s Test match. India will hope Punia can carry her good form into the historic contest as they look to make a winning start at the iconic venue.