Historic Victory for Indian Women's Cricket Team at Lord's
A Milestone at Lord's
The Indian women's cricket team has etched its name in the annals of cricket history by winning their inaugural women's Test match at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground on July 13. This remarkable achievement came after a dominant performance against England, where they secured victory by a significant margin. Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, the team rebounded from their recent disappointment of not reaching the semi-finals in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, showcasing their skills in the longest format of the game.
India's Commanding Performance
After England opted to bowl first upon winning the toss, India set a formidable total of 285 runs, led by Smriti Mandhana's impressive 83 runs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh also contributed with half-centuries, scoring 58 and 57 runs, respectively. England struggled in response, being bowled out for a mere 170 runs, with Kranti Gaud achieving a remarkable five-wicket haul, marking her name on the prestigious Lord's honours board as the first female bowler to do so. India extended their lead to 341-7 in their second innings before declaring, setting England a daunting target of 457 runs. Yastika Bhatia shone brightly with her maiden Test century, scoring 113 runs off 158 balls, making her the first woman to feature on the honours board at this historic venue. In their final innings, England faltered again, collapsing to 186 all out, with Sneh Rana taking four wickets and Deepti Sharma, Sayali Satghare, and Gaud each claiming two wickets.
India's Remarkable Test History
This victory marks a significant return to form for India in Test cricket, following a heavy defeat against Australia at WACA in March. The team boasts an impressive record in the longest format, with the loss in Perth being their only setback in the past twenty years. Since resuming regular Test matches in 2021, India has won four out of seven games, with two draws and just one defeat. In their last five Tests, they have celebrated four victories. Notably, India has not lost a Test match to England since 1995, achieving four wins in their last five encounters, all played in England. Overall, the two teams have faced off in 16 Test matches, with India securing four wins compared to England's single victory, while 11 matches ended in draws. This latest win marks India's fourth triumph over England, the highest number of Test victories against a single opponent, surpassing their previous record of three wins against South Africa. Additionally, this victory stands as the fourth-largest win by runs in the history of Test cricket.