Harmanpreet Kaur continued her unbeaten record as captain in Tests as India outclassed England at Lord’s. The first-ever match at the ‘home of cricket’, the Women in Blue blew away the hosts with thorough domination across all phases of the game.
Yastika Bhatia scored a century, while Kranti Gaud, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma all made valuable contributions in the 270-run win.
England resumed the final day of the Test at 130/6, having fallen way behind in the chase of 457. Sneh Rana dismissed the set batter Amy Jones, while Deepti Sharma got Issy Wong and Lauren Bell in quick succession.
India’s victory was built on dominant performances with both bat and ball. Yastika Bhatia starred with a superb century in the second innings, becoming the first Indian woman to score a Test hundred at Lord’s. Smriti Mandhana laid the platform with a fluent knock at the top, while Deepti Sharma and Kranti Gaud made crucial contributions to keep England under pressure throughout the match.
After declaring their second innings at 341/7, India set England an imposing target of 457. The bowlers then took complete control, reducing the hosts to 130/6 by stumps on Day 3 before polishing off the remaining wickets on the final morning.