Yastika Bhatia Makes History with Test Century at Lord's

Historic Achievement at Lord's

Yastika Bhatia, an Indian batter, has made history by becoming the first woman to score a Test century at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground. She achieved this remarkable feat with a score of 113 against England, marking a significant milestone in the annals of Indian cricket at the 'Home of Cricket'.

A Milestone Innings

Bhatia's historic innings unfolded during India's second innings of the one-off Test, making her the first female cricketer to achieve a century at this prestigious venue since the inception of women's Test cricket there. This achievement places her alongside a distinguished group of 13 Indian cricketers, including legends like Vinoo Mankad, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid, who have all scored Test centuries at Lord's.

A Composed and Fluent Innings

Starting her innings on Day 3 with 39 runs, Bhatia displayed exceptional composure and skill. She reached her maiden Test century off 145 balls, concluding her innings with a stylish drive through extra cover, celebrating her achievement with a heartfelt fist pump.

Her innings comprised 14 boundaries before she was caught at extra cover while attempting a lofted shot against England spinner Sophie Ecclestone. As she exited the field, Bhatia was met with a standing ovation from the crowd and applause from members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), along with several England players acknowledging her historic performance.

A Strong Comeback

This century marks a triumphant return for Bhatia to international cricket after undergoing knee surgery earlier this year. She began her tour of England with a half-century in the first T20I and concluded it with this remarkable Test innings.

India's second innings was bolstered by significant contributions from Smriti Mandhana, who scored 70, and Richa Ghosh, who remained unbeaten on 50. This helped India declare at 341/7, setting England a challenging target of 457 runs.

Other Notable Achievements

In the same match, Indian pacer Kranti Gaud made her mark by becoming the first woman to feature on the Lord's honours board for a Test five-wicket haul, achieving impressive figures of 5/37 in England's first innings. Additionally, England's Sophie Ecclestone also entered the honours board with her own five-wicket haul of 5/118 in India's second innings, becoming the first English woman to achieve this at Lord's.

India on the Brink of Victory

As Day 3 concluded, England found themselves struggling at 130/6, needing an additional 327 runs with only four wickets remaining, placing India on the cusp of a historic victory.