India seamer Renuka Singh has been ruled out of the upcoming one-off women’s Test against Australia, with the BCCI citing workload management as the reason for her withdrawal. The match is scheduled to begin on Friday at the WACA in Perth.
In a statement, the BCCI said Renuka had been advised rest to better manage her workload, adding that the board’s medical team will continue to monitor her fitness. Right-arm medium pacer Kashvee Gautam has been called up as her replacement in the squad.
Renuka has played three Tests for India so far, all at home, and picked up two wickets, both of which came during her debut against England in Mumbai in 2023. She has been one of India’s key seam-bowling options in the limited-overs formats, but will now miss the opportunity to feature in India’s first Test tour of Australia in several years.
Gautam, meanwhile, is yet to make her Test debut for India. The 20-year-old has represented the national team in six ODIs and has been rewarded for her recent performances in domestic cricket. In the latest domestic multi-day tournament, she picked up four wickets from three matches. Among seam bowlers, only Sayali Satghare finished with more wickets in the competition.
Apart from her bowling, Gautam also impressed with the bat during the tournament. She struck an unbeaten 106 off 86 balls in one of the matches, showcasing her all-round ability and strengthening her case for selection.
India’s pace attack for the Test will also include Kranti Gaud, Satghare and Amanjot Kaur, none of whom have played Test cricket yet. The spin department will be led by Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana, with Vaishnavi Sharma also included in the squad.
India last played a women’s Test in Australia in 2021, which ended in a draw. More recently, India defeated Australia in a home Test in Mumbai in 2023, registering their first Test victory against the side.