Emma Lamb has been withdrawn from England women’s squad to face India in a one-off Test in Mumbai next week due to a back injury.
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Lamb has flow back to the UK and will see a spinal surgeon to determine the next steps in treating the issue. Having played in England’s last two Test matches, Lamb was set to open the batting alongside Tammy Beaumont at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy next week.
She has been replaced in the squad by Maia Bouchier, who has 25 international caps in white ball cricket, but has yet to make her Test debut. Bouchier is part of the England squad currently playing the T20I series against India, and played two matches in the A series which preceded the senior tour.
Kirstie Gordon has also been called-up to the Test squad. Gordon took six wickets across three T20s on the A tour, and has remained in Mumbai following the conclusion of that series. Gordon played her so-far only Test against Australia at Taunton in 2019. She took three wickets in that game, including those of Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy.
Gordon hasn’t represented England in a senior international match since that Test. She has five T20I caps, all of which came before 2019. She took ten wickets in the 2023 women’s Hundred for Trent Rockets and finished in the top ten leading wicket-takers in the competition.
England’s Test against India will begin on December 14 and be played over four days.
England women Test match squad vs India: Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Kirstie Gordon, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Dani Wyatt.