India captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed hope to witness more Women’s Test matches after leading her team to a crushing 270-run win against England at the iconic Lord’s. India made history by winning a one-off Test match at the prestigious venue.
Harmanpreet said it was a special feeling to be part of the historic event and wanted the game to happen more often in the home of cricket.

“God is a better writer, and he has written it pretty well. Playing at Lord’s is always special. Really want to thank people who thought about bringing the match here. Hopefully, we will get more here. Hopefully, we will get 10 more Test matches, and we can keep performing,” Harmanpreet said after the match.

Team effort powers India’s historic win

The India skipper reserved special praise for the wicketkeeper-batter, Yastika Bhatia, for the century she scored, which set them on the path to victory. However, Harmanpreet insisted that the team’s overall performance was the reason behind their win.

“That is why we put her in the eleven. Really happy with the way she batted. Our openers have been our strength and the way they batted in the first half was special to watch,” Harmanpreet said.

The Indian batsman also expressed her delight at the team’s fielding efforts, saying everyone contributed in their own way.
“Really happy with the way our entire team fielded. Everyone came together and did the job for the team,” she added.

Harmanpreet also gave credit to head coach Amol Muzumdar, as well as the support staff, for motivating the players and preparing them to face the challenges of the red-ball game, having endured a disappointing campaign in the Women’s T20 World Cup.

“The support staff have played a lot of red-ball cricket, and they know how it moves. They kept giving us feedback throughout the game. Really want to thank Amol sir and everyone else for the way we played. The last couple of series have not been in our favour,” she remarked.
Player of the Match Kranti Gaud, who took seven wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings, described the win as the icing on the cake of a dream come true.

“Growing up, I never imagined that this would happen. But since the start of this Test match, I kept telling myself that I wanted to get my name on the honors board. I feel extremely proud, and my family does too. I would like to thank my coaches, my seniors, and everyone who has been there for me on this journey. I have a room in my house dedicated to my cricketing career, and I plan to keep the stump there for eternity,” Gaud said.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt acknowledged that her team struggled to adapt to the conditions after opting to bat first and failing to form partnerships at the other end.

“We didn’t really adapt to the conditions on Day 1. Then didn’t have enough partnerships with the bat. The players did show character. It was just a great experience to play the first Women’s Test at Lord’s,” Sciver-Brunt noted.

The England captain felt they would have benefited from more practice before the one-off Test, but added that they had to be prepared for any eventuality in Test cricket.

“I don’t think the toss decision was wrong, but we would have liked a couple of more days to practice. As cricketers, you have to be ready for these situations and the change of format. That is what you sign up for,” she remarked.