India and England’s women’s national teams are set to clash in a historic Test match at the home of cricket, Lord’s in London from July 10-13.

This is the first-ever Women’s Test to be hosted at the prestigious venue which recently hosted its 150th men’s Test match when England beat New Zealand in the recently concluded three-match series.

The fixture comes five days a well-attended Women’s T20 World Cup which saw the home side, England, finish as runner-up.

Why has it taken so long for a Women’s Test at Lord’s?

The Marylebone Cricket Club infamously restricted access to Lord’s for the women’s national side for a very long time. It required pathbreaking evangelists like Rachael Heyhoe Flint and scathing audit reports to force the institution to bend and accommodate women, not just in expanding the watching experience for women, but also extend playing opportunities to the ecosystem.

Read more about the history here: Women’s Test cricket finally ‘comes home’ to Lord’s – Of rejection, resilience and relevance

Which nations in the Women’s cricket ecosystem play Tests?

England and Australia play the most amount of Test cricket in the women’s vertical. India comes third, with quite a considerable push from the BCCI is recent years. The Indian domestic setup also has domestic red ball, multi-day cricket now. South Africa has also shown interest to play Tests and entered the modern Test conversation.

How many days will this Test match go on for?

The India vs England one-off Test is a four-day affair. There have only been two five-day Tests in the women’s game. The latest one was in 2023 when England and Australia played at Trent Bridge. Players were happy to have the extra day to eke out a result and have been calling for the five-day Test to be the norm.

Are there any other major differences between men’s and women’s Tests?

A minimum of 100 overs have to be bowled in a single day in Women’s Tests and the follow-on mark is not 200, like it is in the men’s game. It is 150.

What does India and England’s head-to-head record look like?

In the 16 Tests played bewtween thesse two nations, India has won three and lost one, having drawn all other Tests. India has never lost to England since 1995 and is yet to lose on English soil.

In the most recent clash between these two sides in the format, India beat England by a comprehensive 347-run-margin in Navi Mumbai.

Does this Test have any bigger significance?

No. This Test isn’t even scheduled as a part of a multi-format series. It is a standalone fixture meant to capitalise on the fan engagement after the Women’s T20 World Cup and to sustain awareness and interest in women’s game.

Are there any key updates we should know about the squads?

India’s Pratika Rawal has been ruled out of this game due to an injury to her knee that required stitches. Priya Punia has been called in as a replacement but it isn’t clear whether she will slot into the playing eleven directly. Meanwhile, England’s Tammy Beaumont is set to feature in her final international game, having announced her decision to retire at the end of this fixture.

The squads are an interesting mix of core seniors and youngsters on both sides. For India, Harleen Deol, Nandni Sharma and Shree Charani are new to the Test turf. For England, Alice Capsey, Eleanor Threlkeld, Grace Potts, Mady Villiers, and Tilly Corteen-Coleman got their maiden Test call-ups and might anticipate a debut too.

Published on Jul 10, 2026