India and England resumed play in the inaugural women’s Test match at Lord’s with India continuing to assert dominance after setting a strong first-innings total. The historic four-day match, held on Friday and Saturday at the iconic London ground, marks the first women’s Test to be played there following 142 years and 150 men’s Tests.
India, having batted first after losing the toss, posted 285 runs on day one. Opener Smriti Mandhana narrowly missed becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s, finishing with 83 runs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma also made valuable contributions, each scoring half-centuries with Kaur reaching 58. Mandhana and Kaur shared a vital fourth-wicket partnership of 89 runs before Mandhana fell to an edged delivery caught by the wicket-keeper standing up to the stumps off England pacer Issy Wong.
Following Mandhana’s dismissal, India’s innings experienced a brief collapse, losing their last four wickets for 11 runs, with Sophie Ecclestone claiming three wickets for 68 runs. Prior to tea, Kaur was bowled by off-spinner debutant Mady Villiers, who made an immediate impact. England finished day one at 21-1, with opener Tammy Beaumont—playing in her final international match—dismissed lbw for two by India’s Kranti Gaud.
On day two, England were bowled out for 170. Kranti Gaud, a 22-year-old seam bowler, starred with a five-wicket haul, taking 5-37 from 17 overs. Her performance earned her a place on the prestigious Lord’s honours board, joining a select group of Indian bowlers to achieve a five-wicket Test innings at the venue. India then began their second innings strongly, reaching 154-1 by stumps, with Mandhana unbeaten on 69 and opening partner Shafali Verma on 33, extending their overall lead to 269 runs.
This match marks a significant milestone in women’s cricket history. It comes 50 years after the first major women’s fixture at Lord’s, a one-day international between England and Australia in 1976. Unlike their predecessors, women now enter the Long Room and are fully integrated as members of the Marylebone Cricket Club, which owns Lord’s. Both teams received enthusiastic support from spectators as they processed through the pavilion prior to play.
Players and commentators have highlighted the growth of women’s cricket in recent years. Deepti Sharma emphasized the progress made over the past four to five years, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur described the staging of a women’s Test at Lord’s as “late but not too late.” Mandhana also reached a personal milestone by becoming the youngest woman to appear in 300 international matches across all formats at age 29 years and 357 days.
England’s bowling effort on the first day was acknowledged by Wong, who noted the challenge of bowling out the opposition within the day’s play. Despite England’s early wickets in both innings, they face a substantial deficit as India look poised to build a commanding lead. The highest successful fourth-innings chase in women’s Test cricket currently stands at 198 runs by Australia against England in 2011, setting a significant target for the hosts if they are to claim victory.
The match continues to symbolize the evolving status of women's cricket on one of the sport's most revered grounds, highlighting both the historic context and future potential of the women’s game.