Key facts
- Pratika Rawal ruled out of India's one-off Women's Test vs England
- Rawal was one of India's key openers
- Absence creates a top-order selection problem for India's team management
Pratika Rawal has been ruled out of India's one-off Women's Test match against England, the Indian Express reported, dealing a significant blow to the Indian team's preparations ahead of the high-stakes fixture.
Rawal had established herself as one of India's most promising openers in the format, and her absence leaves the team management searching for alternatives at the top of the order. The timing is particularly difficult given the limited turnaround time for a one-off Test, where there is no room to recover from a slow start.
The development adds intrigue to India's selection process, with the team now likely to reshuffle their top-order combination. The one-off Test against England is one of the marquee fixtures in the Women's cricket calendar this season, and both teams will be eager to claim a high-profile victory.
India's team management is expected to announce a replacement or reshuffle in the coming hours, with selectors likely to look within the current squad for cover. For Indian fans, the news tempers some of the excitement building around what promises to be a compelling Test match.