Kashvee Gautam replaces Renuka Singh Thakur for one-off Test in Perth

Team India pacer Renuka Singh Thakur has been ruled out of the one-off Test against Australia at the WACA Ground in Perth, with a BCCI release confirming that she has been advised rest to manage her workload. Kashvee Gautam has been named as her replacement.

Thakur was part of India's squads across the T20I and ODI leg of the ongoing multi-format series. She picked up four wickets across the three T20Is before managing a lone wicket across two appearances in the ODI leg, having not played the second match.

Thakur has featured in three Tests - all at home - since debuting in the format in December 2023, bagging just two wickets at an average of 90.50. Her absence renders India considerably short on experience in the pace department given that Kashvee as well as the other pace options in the squad, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Amanjot Kaur are all uncapped at the Test level.

Kashvee featured throughout the ODI leg of the tour, returning three wickets at 54 apiece besides tallying 68 handy runs lower in the order.

India will face Australia in the one-off pink-ball Test starting Friday, March 6. With Australia leading the multi-format series 8-4 on points, India must win the Test to draw level, with four points at stake.