Brief scores: India (285, 341/7 declared) beat England (170 and 186) by 270 runs on the fourth day at Lord’s. Yastika Bhatia (113 in second innings), Smriti Mandhana (83 in first innings); Kranti Gaur (5/37 in 1st innings), Sneh Rana (4/42 in 2nd innings).

The first women’s Test at Lord’s was worthy of the occasion. Under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur, India performed exactly the same and became the first team to win a women’s Test on the cricket field by defeating England by 270 runs on the final morning.

Lord’s has witnessed some of cricket’s greatest triumphs in the last 140 years. On Monday, the women of India added a historic chapter to themselves. While this generation has won the World Cup on home soil and lit up the Women’s Premier League stage, they will also be remembered for achieving an unforgettable feat at the prestigious venue.

lord’s test highlight | Achievement:

It took less than four overs for the visitors to achieve the final breakthrough on Monday morning, giving them four days of absolute superiority over the hosts. Having arrived in the United Kingdom a fortnight earlier to prepare, India focused solely on home, comfortable with the conditions, the psychological weight of the occasion and the infamous Lord’s slope straight right usually reserved for a familiar home venue.

As Harmanpreet Kaur’s team celebrated the win, International Cricket Council president Jay Shah and former captain Sachin Tendulkar were in the stands cheering the team. Tendulkar later came on to the field to congratulate the winning team as they were returning to the pavilion after Sneh Rana took the final wicket, ending Sophie Ecclestone’s resistance on Monday morning.

unbeaten run in England

With this win, India extended their unbeaten run in Test matches in England. They have won three and drawn seven of their 10 Test matches in the country so far. This was also the fourth win of the women’s team in the last five Test matches.

The foundation of this historic victory was laid by a mixture of aggressive batting and relentless fast bowling in the first two days.

After England won the toss and decided to bowl on a green surface, India posted an impressive score of 285 runs in the first innings. The centerpiece of that effort was a brilliant innings from vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. This brilliant left-handed opener challenged England’s disciplined attack and presented a wonderful example of timing and composure, hitting 11 fours and a brilliant six. Mandhana’s 83-run knock took over the top order, allowing captain Harmanpreet Kaur (58) and the ever-reliable Deepti Sharma (57) to build crucial partnerships that left the hosts frustrated.

Revolution, Yastika Script History

If Mandhana provided the early relief, it was young seam sensation Kranti Gaur who really made the match one-sided. With natural swing and a sharp start from the nursery end, the 22-year-old Madhya Pradesh pacer demolished the England batting line-up in his first innings. Goud bowled with extraordinary discipline, taking a sensational five wickets for just 37 runs, including seven maidens, in 17 overs. His relentless line and length precipitated a dramatic collapse, leaving England all out for 170 and giving India a crucial first innings lead of 115 runs.

With a significant lead, the Indian batsmen completely took the game away from England in the second innings. Mandhana continued her brilliant form and scored 70 runs, while Richa Ghosh played a quickfire inning of 50 runs in 52 balls. However, this innings belonged to wicketkeeper-batsman Yastika Bhatia.

Bhatia registered her name on the prestigious Lord’s Honors Board and became the first woman in history to score a Test century at this ground. Displaying impeccable shot selection and immense mental toughness, Bhatia scored a brilliant 113 off 158 balls with 14 beautiful boundaries. Her historic milestone pushed India into a position of complete control, allowing Harmanpreet Kaur to declare at 341 for seven at tea on the third day. Despite a brave marathon spell from England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who took five for 118, the target was well beyond the hosts’ reach.

Facing a daunting target of 457, England’s second innings disintegrated in a desperate rearguard effort under relentless pressure. India’s versatile bowling attack gave no respite to the home team. Sneh Rana took three wickets for 42 runs with a clever spell of off-spin, while first innings heroes Goud and Deepti Sharma took two wickets each to break any budding partnerships.

Amy Jones offered the only resistance for the hosts on Sunday evening with an unbeaten 54, but she eventually ran out of partners. Coming back with just one wicket needed on the final morning, India sealed a historic win within 15 minutes as Sneh Rana edged Lauren Filer, leading to a wild celebration on the Lord’s balcony and sealing a comprehensive 270-run win.

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