Cricket ke Mecca kahe jaane waale Lord's ke maidan par itihaas racha jaane waala hai, lekin usse pehle India Women camp se ek pareshaan karne waali khabar saamne aayi hai. Top-order batter Pratika Rawal injury ki wajah se is aitihasik Test match se baahar ho gayi hain. Jahan ek taraf fans India vs England ki is jung ka besabri se intezaar kar rahe the, wahan Rawal ka baahar hona thoda nirashajanak hai. Halanki, selectors ne backup ready rakha hai aur Priya Punia ko turant squad mein shamil kar liya gaya hai.
To Hua esa hai ki:
Kissa shuru hota hai pichle hafte Taunton ke maidan se, jahan India A aur England A ke beech doosra one-dayer khela ja raha tha. Fielding ke dauran Pratika Rawal ko ghutne mein chot lag gayi. Chot itni gambhir thi ki wo 300 runs ke chase mein batting karne bhi nahi utar paayin. Head coach Amol Muzumdar ne confirm kiya hai ki unke ghutne par cut aaya hai jisme stitches lage hain, isliye wo selection ke liye available nahi hongi.
Ab unki jagah Priya Punia ko bulawa bheja gaya hai. Punia filhaal zabardast form mein hain aur unhone hal hi mein England A ke khilaaf series mein do half-centuries lagayi hain. Bhale hi wo Test cricket mein uncapped hain, lekin unka current touch unhe No. 3 spot ke liye ek bada contender banata hai. Is position ke liye ab Priya Punia, Harleen Deol, aur Yastika Bhatia ke beech ek kadi takkar dekhne ko milegi.
Analysis & Numbers
- Pratika Rawal ne Australia ke khilaaf pichle Test mein shaandaar 50 maari thi, unka na hona batting depth par asar daal sakta hai.
- Priya Punia ne England A ke khilaaf teen matches mein do half-centuries jadkar selectors ko majboor kiya ki unhe squad mein rakha jaaye.
- Yeh Lord's ke maidan par pehla mauka hai jab koi Women's Test match host kiya ja raha hai, jo is encounter ko aur bhi special banata hai.
- Injury ka silsila Pratika Rawal ke liye naya nahi hai: unhone ankle injury ki wajah se pichle saal World Cup semi-final, final aur poora WPL miss kiya tha.
The Guru Gyan Verdict:
Pratika Rawal ki kismat unka saath nahi de rahi hai, injury ke waqt ne unka career graph kai baar disturb kiya hai. Lekin Team India ka bench strength ab itna majboot hai ki humein ghabrane ki zaroorat nahi. Priya Punia is in Red-Hot form aur Lord's jaise bade stage par naye sitaron ka chamakna hi Indian Cricket ki asli pehchan hai. Jabki hamare padosi Pakistan mein fitness aur selection ko lekar hamesha circus chalta rehta hai, BCCI aur Team India ne dikha diya hai ki backup plan kaise set kiya jaata hai. Agar Punia ko mauka milta hai, to yeh unke career ka Gamechanger moment ho sakta hai. England ko unke ghar mein dhool chatane ke liye hum poori tarah taiyaar hain.
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