Historic Women's Test Match at Lord's: India vs England

In a groundbreaking moment for women's cricket, India is taking on England in a historic Test match at Lord's. Smriti Mandhana has made her mark by becoming the third Indian woman to play 300 matches. With Harmanpreet Kaur leading the team, this match is set to be a significant milestone in the sport. Discover more about the players and the match details in this exciting encounter.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 10, 2026, 16:53 IST

India Faces England in Pioneering Women's Test

Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian women's cricket team is currently competing against England, captained by Nat Sciver-Brunt, in a groundbreaking one-off Test match at the prestigious Lord's Cricket Ground. This marks the first occasion that this iconic venue is hosting a women's Test match.

Smriti Mandhana, participating in her ninth Test, has joined an elite group alongside Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur. She is now the third Indian woman cricketer to reach the milestone of 300 matches. Mandhana made her international debut in an ODI against Bangladesh in 2013, having played her first T20I just five days earlier. Her Test debut came in 2014 against England. To date, she has accumulated 635 runs in Tests, 5411 runs in ODIs, and 4538 runs in T20Is. With a promising career ahead, she has the potential to become the most-capped player in women's cricket history.

Currently serving as the vice-captain across all formats, Mandhana was part of the Indian team that clinched the ODI World Cup in 2025, where she scored 45 runs off 58 balls in the final, finishing as the tournament's second-highest run-scorer with a total of 434 runs.

Top Women's Cricketers by Matches Played

Leading the list of women cricketers with the most matches played is Harmanpreet Kaur, who is participating in her 374th game. She is closely followed by Suzie Bates, who has played 370 matches, although Bates has never participated in Test cricket since New Zealand's last red-ball game was in 2004. Bates made her debut in 2006. Mithali Raj concluded her illustrious career with 333 caps, having played 12 Tests, 232 ODIs, and 89 T20Is before retiring in 2022. Other notable players include Sophie Devine (317), Stafanie Taylor (315), Dannie Wyatt-Hodge (311), Deandra Dottin (309), and Charlotte Edwards (300), who follow Mithali on this prestigious list.

England's Decision to Bowl First

In the match, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. The Indian team faced an early setback with Shafali Verma being dismissed for a duck after just four balls. Yastika Bhatia managed to score 12 runs off 17 balls.

India's Playing XI: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sayali Satghare, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud.

England's Playing XI: Nat Sciver-Brunt (Captain), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones, Mady Villiers, Sophie Ecclestone, Issy Wong, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer.