
Prateek Thakur
abplive|13-07-2026
The Indian women's cricket team secured a historic 270-run victory over England in the first-ever women's Test match played at Lord's. Harmanpreet Kaur's side dominated all four days of the historic contest to expose tactical gaps in the home team's red-ball setup. The comprehensive win firmly establishes India as the premier multi-format unit in international cricket today.
India laid the foundation on the opening day by posting 285 runs on a fresh surface. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana anchored the innings with a disciplined 83 to neutralise the early swing.
England failed to replicate that application during their first innings, collapsing for 170 runs. Indian debutant Kranti Gaud claimed five wickets for 37 runs to put the visitors in complete control.
The home side lacked technical defensive stability against a moving ball. Apart from wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who scored a resilient 52, no English batter managed to construct a significant partnership.
India chose against enforcing the follow-on, opting to bat England out of the match instead. The visitors accumulated a massive second-innings total of 341 before declaring seven wickets down.
Left-hander Yastika Bhatia became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord's. Her excellent 113 off 158 balls dismantled the English spin attack on a wearing surface.
Opening batter Smriti Mandhana contributed a stable 70 runs, while Richa Ghosh added an aggressive 50. Their contributions allowed India to set England an improbable fourth-innings target of 457 runs.
England faced a target that has never been chased successfully in women's cricket history. Their second innings mirrored the first, collapsing swiftly under pressure from the relentless Indian bowling attack.
Off-spinner Sneh Rana dismantled the middle order to finish with figures of four for 42. Her precise line prevented the hosts from developing any sustained momentum during the final afternoon.
Amy Jones top-scored again with 54 runs, but received minimal support from her teammates. England were bowled out for 186, concluding a disappointing week for the home country's veterans.




