India has given Priya Punia her first Test call-up after Pratika Rawal had to withdraw from the one-off Women's Test against England at Lord's due to a knee injury. The 29-year-old batter caught the selectors' attention during India A's recent tour of England, where she stood out as the team's top run-scorer in the three-match one-day series. Head coach Amol Muzumdar shared that Rawal sustained a deep cut around her right knee while fielding in the second match against England A in Taunton, and the stitches she received ultimately ruled her out of this historic match.
Punia steps in to fill the shoes of one of India's most dependable top-order batters in recent times. Rawal has quickly made a name for herself across formats and played a crucial role in India's triumph at the 2025 ODI World Cup. She also showcased her skills in red-ball cricket with a determined half-century against Australia earlier this year, making her absence a significant blow to India's batting at Lord's.
Lord's Ready for First Women's Test
The four-day test starts on July 10 will mark a historic milestone as the first Women's Test ever held at Lord's, finally breaking a 142-year wait since the venue hosted its inaugural men's Test. While the iconic ground welcomed its first women's international match back in 1976, it has never seen a women's Test until now. This fixture is a significant moment not just for both teams, but also for the advancement of women's cricket at one of the sport's most celebrated venues.
As for the teams, India and England come into this match with very different recent performances in the format. Earlier this year, India faced their first Test loss in twenty years against Australia, while England has only managed to secure one win in their last ten Tests. Interestingly, India has not lost a Women's Test to England since 1995 and remains unbeaten in nine Tests played on English soil, with two wins and seven draws.
On the Indian side, uncapped Test players like Harleen Deol, N Shree Charani, and Nandini Sharma could make their mark, while England might turn to fresh talents like Lauren Filer, Issy Wong, and the young spinner Tilly Corteen-Colman.
England Squad: Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Grace Potts, Ellie Threlkeld, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong
India Squad: Smriti Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (wk), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Sneh Rana, Sayali Satghare, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani
