Why are Harleen Deol & Renuka Thakur not playing ENG-W vs IND-W one-off Test?
Harleen Deol and Renuka Thakur are not part of the historic Test match at Lord’s.
India Women are taking on England in a one-off Test; the match started today, July 10. This is the first-ever women’s Test match to be played at Lord’s. Women’s Test matches are generally four days long, and 100 overs are bowled per day.
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and English captain Nat Sciver-Brunt walked out in their blazers for the toss, which England won and opted to bowl first.
The hosts are fielding two debutants. Switching to red-ball cricket immediately after playing the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final on Sunday has been a very quick turnaround for England.
On the other hand, India got some time off and are returning fresh for the fixture. They are also fielding one debutant in the match. However, Harleen Deol and Renuka Thakur did not find a spot in the XI.
Why did Harleen Deol and Renuka Thakur miss the Test?
At the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur was fine with the decision to bat first and put a total on the board. She said,
“I think it’s a good opportunity for us to set a total on the board. Let’s see how it goes.”
Speaking about the playing XI, she stated that the team would include two fast bowlers and three specialist spinners. They believe the spinners to be their strength, and would be keen on backing them here.
“We’ll be going with two pacers and three spinners. Spinners have been our strength and they’ve been bowling really well even in England, so we back them.”
Renuka Thakur had to sit out the match due to the decision to field two fast bowlers, as India placed their trust in Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare. Sayali picked 4 wickets against Australia in the last Test match that India played in March, while Kranti claimed 2.
On the other hand, India have backed Yastika Bhatia at No. 3 position ahead of Harleen Deol, and hence Deol misses the game. Moreover, Shree Charani makes her Test debut, adding to the spin attack with Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma.
This team is very similar to the team that played the last Test against Australia in March, except for Yastika Bhatia replacing Pratika Rawal and Shree Charani coming in for Kashvee Gautam.
Why is Harleen Deol not playing the one-off Test against England Women?
India have backed Yastika Bhatia in the XI, and perhaps that could be a reason why Harleen Deol misses the one-off Test against ENG-W.
Why is Renuka Singh Thakur not playing the one-off Test against England Women?
India have fielded only two pacers in the one-off Test, which is why Renuka Singh did not find a spot. Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare are the two pacers.
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.