Yastika Bhatia made cricket history on the third day of the one-off Test between England and India at Lord’s by becoming the first woman to score a century at the iconic venue.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter reached three figures off 145 balls, hitting 12 fours in a patient and determined innings. This knock marks her highest score in Test cricket and her maiden century in the longest format of the game.
Historic moment at Lord’s Cricket Ground
Lord’s has waited 142 years for its first women’s Test match. On this third day, Yastika Bhatia delivered the perfect landmark. She joined teammate Kranti Gaud on the Lord’s honours board after Gaud’s five-wicket haul in England’s first innings. Two Indian women now sit proudly on the boards that once belonged only to the men’s game.
Bhatia resumed overnight and faced an early scare. The first ball of the day from Lauren Bell clipped her off-stump but the bails stayed put. She refused to let the moment unsettle her. Instead, she dug in, showed solid defence and picked her moments to score. The result was a patient 145-ball hundred that spoke of real mental strength.
A landmark personal achievement
This innings is a personal landmark for the 25-year-old from Vadodara. Before this match Yastika Bhatia’s highest Test score stood at 66. She had only three previous Tests under her belt and had never reached three figures in the format. Scoring a century at Lord’s in the first women’s Test ever played there will remain a career-defining memory. Her teammates celebrated the moment as she raised her bat after reaching the landmark.
India have controlled large parts of this historic Test. Kranti Gaud’s bowling heroics and now Yastika Bhatia’s batting milestone have given the visitors strong momentum. The match continues to showcase the rising standard of women’s Test cricket and the growing recognition of women’s cricket at traditional venues.
Why this century matters so much
A women’s Test at Lord’s was long overdue. The ground has been the stage for countless men’s classics. Watching Indian players claim the first bowling and batting places on the honours board sends a clear message about the growth of the women’s game. Yastika Bhatia’s calm approach mixed careful defence with clean boundaries. The 12 fours came from well-timed drives, cuts, and pulls as she rotated the strike and never threw her wicket away.
As the Test moves into its later stages, Bhatia’s name will remain the first on the women’s batting honours board at Lord’s. It is a moment that belongs to her, to Team India and to every girl who dreams of playing on the biggest stages.