Fast bowler Renuka Singh has been ruled out of India Women’s upcoming pink-ball Test against Australia, set to begin on Friday, March 6, at the WACA in Perth. Young fast-bowling all-rounder Kashvee Gautam has been named as her replacement.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the decision to manage Renuka’s workload and ensure she gets adequate rest. The BCCI medical team will continue to closely monitor her fitness and recovery progress.
With Renuka unavailable, India will rely on Kranti Goud, Amanjot Kaur, Kashvee Gautam, and Sayali Satghare to take charge of the pace attack. The spin department will be handled by Deepti Sharma, Vaishnavi Sharma, and Sneh Rana.
Last year, Renuka made her comeback from injury during the home ODI series against Australia. Since then, the BCCI has managed her workload carefully, limiting her appearances, including during the Women’s World Cup, where Kranti Goud emerged as India’s leading pacer.
Kashvee Gautam earned her maiden Test call-up following a promising start to her limited-overs career. In the ODI series against Australia, she scored 68 runs in three matches at an average of 22.66 with a strike rate of 85, and took three wickets at an economy rate of 6.75, showcasing her all-round potential.
India began their tour of Australia with a 2-1 victory in the T20I series but have struggled in the longer formats since. Playing ODIs for the first time since their World Cup triumph in Navi Mumbai, India suffered a 0-3 whitewash at the hands of Alyssa Healy’s Australia.
The ODI losses also saw India fall 4-8 behind in the multi-format series. The upcoming Perth Test marks India’s return to Test cricket after more than 18 months, their last outing being the Chepauk Test against South Africa in 2024.
India’s updated Women’s Test squad
Harmanpreet Kaur [C], Smriti Mandhana [VC], Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh [WK], Uma Chetry [WK], Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare
