Lord’s had staged Test cricket for 142 years, but never a women’s Test. On Monday, India made the longawaited ‘first’ emphatically their own. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side crushed England by 270 runs, adding a golden chapter to Indian cricket’s storied relationship with the ‘Home of Cricket’.An aggregate attendance of 37,846 across the four days, a world record for a women’s Test, added to the sense of occasion.Putting the disappointment of their group-stage exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup firmly behind them, India produced a commanding allround performance. The team began the fourth and final day with a pep talk from batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who later watched history unfold from the stands alongside ICC chairman Jay Shah.Fittingly, India’s triumph came on July 13, a date etched in Indian cricket folklore. Exactly 24 years earlier, Mohammad Kaif (87 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (69) had engineered India’s unforgettable NatWest Series final victory over England at Lord’s, prompting thencaptain Sourav Ganguly’s iconic shirt-waving celebration on the pavilion balcony after India chased down 326.India also spoiled the farewell Test of England stalwarts Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight in emphatic fashion. The victory marked another landmark for Harmanpreet’s side, coming less than a year after they lifted India’s maiden Women’s ODI World Cup.Set an improbable 457, England resumed the final morning at 130/6. India needed just over 90 minutes to claim the remaining four wickets, bowling out the hosts for 186 overs despite a defiant half-century from Sophie Ecclestone, 50 off 66 balls, with six fours.Player of the match Kranti Gaud finished with match figures of 7/91 — 5/37 and 2/54 — while Sayali Satghare returned 4/64. Sneh Rana claimed 4/42 in the second innings, including the wickets of Amy Jones and Ecclestone on the final morning, to finish with match figures of 6/83.England’s top scorer Jones, 54 off 80 balls, was the first to fall on the final morning, caught at midwicket off Rana. Ecclestone and Issy Wong, who made one off 33 balls, briefly delayed the inevitable before Deepti removed Wong and Lauren Bell in quick succession. Rana fittingly sealed the victory by bowling Ecclestone with a beauty, triggering jubilant celebrations on the field and in the Indian dressing room.The foundations of India’s commanding victory had been laid by vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s twin half-centuries, Yastika Bhatia’s maiden Test century and Gaud’s outstanding first-innings fivewicket haul. Bhatia became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s while Gaud was the first woman to have her name added to a Lord’s Test honours board.
Muzumdar backs women’s WTC
India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar reiterated his support for the introduction of a Women’s World Test Championship, saying the growing number of Tests being played by the leading nations made the idea increasingly viable.
