India have suffered a major setback ahead of the historic women's Test against England at Lord's, with opener Pratika Rawal ruled out due to a knee injury.
Head coach Amol Mazumdar confirmed on Wednesday that Rawal will miss the one-off four-day Test after suffering a cut on her knee while playing for India A against England A in Taunton. The injury required stitches, forcing the 25-year-old to withdraw from the squad.
"Pratika has been ruled out of the Test match due to her injury in the India A match. She has got a cut on her knee which required some stitches. She is out for the Test match and Priya Punia has been added into the squad," Mazumdar said.
Priya Punia named replacement
Experienced top-order batter Priya Punia has been drafted into the squad as Rawal's replacement
for the landmark fixture, which begins on July 10.
Rawal had featured for India A during the recent tour of England but did not play in the final one-day match of the series after picking up the injury.
Another injury blow for Pratika Rawal
The latest setback continues a frustrating run for Rawal, who also missed a large part of last year's ODI World Cup after twisting her ankle during the tournament.
Since making her international debut earlier this year, the right-hander has quickly established herself as one of India's most dependable top-order batters. She also impressed on her Test debut against Australia in Perth, where she registered a half-century in the second innings.
Historic occasion at Lord's
India and England will make history when they take the field at Lord's later this week, with the venue hosting its first-ever women's Test match, 142 years after staging its first men's Test.
The one-off Test marks another milestone for the women's game, with India now set to begin the historic contest without one of their first-choice openers.
