Emma Lamb has been withdrawn from England women’s squad to face India in a one-off Test in Mumbai next week due to a back injury.
Mr Lamb will return to the UK to see a spine surgeon to determine the next steps to treat the problem. Lamb, who played in England’s last two Test matches, was due to co-star with Tammy Beaumont in ‘Doctor Martin’. DY Patil Sports Academy will lead the batting line-up.
She was replaced in the team by Maia Bouchier, who has 25 caps in white-ball cricket but is yet to make her Test debut. Bouchier is currently part of the England squad that is playing in the T20I series against India, and she played two matches in the A series that preceded the senior tour.
Kirsty Gordon was also selected for the Test team. Gordon took six wickets in three T20 tournaments on the A tour and remained in Mumbai after the series ended. Gordon played his only Test to date in 2019 against Australia at Taunton. She got her three wickets in the game, including Meg’s running and the wicket of Alyssa Healy.
Gordon has not played a senior international match for England since that Test. She has played five T20I internationals, all of which took place before 2019. She scored 10 of her wickets as Trent’s Rockets team in the 2023 Women’s Hundred, placing her in the top 10 of wicket takers in the competition.
The Test between England and India will begin on December 14 and will be played over four days.
England Women’s Test Match vs India: Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Kirsty Gordon, Beth Heath, Amy Jones, Heather Knight (c), Nat Shiver Brunt, Dani Wyatt.
Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.
