With a superb four-wicket haul from off-spinner Sneh Rana, a skilled Indian team made history on Monday at Lord’s, defeating England by 270 runs to win the first-ever Women’s Test match.

In the first session, Rana (4-42) and Deepti Sharma (2-36) methodically eliminated England’s lower-order resistance, as the hosts were bowled out for 186 in 62. 5 overs in pursuit of an improbable world-record target of 457 runs.

It signified that Harmanpreet Kaur and her squad had achieved a really deserved and comprehensive triumph at the renowned location. With this victory, India has also prolonged their impressive streak in red-ball cricket by recording their seventh victory in the previous 11 Test matches. They have maintained their undefeated record in the longest format on English land, which is important.

Amy Jones, the half-centurion from the previous day, was all that stood in the way of England’s slim hopes of postponing the inevitable as they started day four from 130/6. Nevertheless, Amy (54) pulled a brief delivery from Sneh in the third over of the morning, which was not typical of her, straight into the hands of Shafali Verma at mid-wicket, signaling the end of any real English opposition.

Sophie Ecclestone and Issy Wong resisted the Indian bowling assault for almost ten overs without scoring. Deepti produced a peach of a delivery that drifted in and went straight on to beat Issy’s defensive push and disturb her off-stump, thus shattering the resistance.

Sophie, in the meanwhile, kept the score ticking by hitting boundaries off Deepti Sharma and Kranti Gaud. Deepti lured Lauren Bell ahead with a floated ball that spun hard back into the right-hander and shattered into the top of the off-stump, even though she had a transient partner in Bell.

Lauren Filer teamed Sophie, who was still showing amazing rearguard action, when England was in a state of 159/9. Sophie reached her maiden Test half-century in 61 balls during the 62nd over by hitting a single for Deepti, to the delight of the spectators. However, Sneh, who was bowling from around the wicket and posed a risk to both ends, quickly concluded the event with a screamer of a delivery.

In addition to Sneh, vice-captain Mandhana hit 83 and 70 before Yastika Bhatia batted England out of the contest with a spectacular 113—the first century by a woman’s Test batsman at Lord’s—and Richa Ghosh smashed an undefeated 52-ball 50, and Kranti Gaud got the first wicket-haul at the storied venue in Tests. These are the heroes of India’s famous victory. India ensured Lord’s first Women’s Test was one to remember for a very long time after it took 142 years for the stadium to host it.

In a post on social media, the Sports Minister praised the team after they created history by defeating England by 270 runs in the single Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

History at Lord’s! Kudos to our Women’s Cricket Team for becoming the first-ever women’s side to win a Test match at this historic stadium. According to Dr. Mandaviya‘s article on various social media platforms, this accomplishment is much more noteworthy since it comes after a resounding 270-run victory against England.

Every cricketer considers winning a Test match at the Home of Cricket to be a watershed moment. According to the BCCI, this is a defining moment for this young Indian squad, demonstrating the extraordinary growth of women’s cricket in the nation as well as the endurance, talent, and character that this team keeps showcasing on the international scene.

Mithun Manhas, president of the BCCI, stated that this is one of the best moments in the history of Indian women’s cricket. Winning a Test match at Lord’s is a truly special experience and speaks volumes about the team’s fortitude, resolve, and confidence throughout the game. They played with outstanding character, made the entire nation proud, and relished the moment. Jay Shah, our former Honorary Secretary and current ICC Chairman, merits recognition for his astute leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women’s cricket. He helped lay the groundwork for accomplishments like this. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the BCCI to Harmanpreet Kaur, the players, coaches, and support personnel for their truly remarkable success.

History in the making! After winning the match, Manhas posted on X. Congratulations to @BCCIWomen on completing this incredible accomplishment. All of the country is proud of you. Her team, support staff at BCCI, and Harmanpreet are all congratulated. Jai Hind.

This historic victory is the culmination of years of sustained investment in and faith in women’s cricket, according to BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia. Through more robust domestic structures, increased possibilities, and greater professional assistance, the BCCI has stayed dedicated to building the ideal atmosphere for our women cricketers to flourish. Additionally, I want to recognize the ground-breaking leadership of Mr. Jay Shah, our previous Honorary Secretary and current ICC Chairman. His pioneering programs, like pay equality for centrally contracted female cricketers, higher match fees for domestic women cricketers, and the debut of the Women’s Premier League, have completely changed the face of women’s cricket in India. Today’s success at Lord’s is a proud reminder of all those efforts, as well as the extraordinary devotion and hard work of our players and support personnel.

Sachin Tendulkar praised Harmanpreet Kaur’s team for making history at Lord’s, describing the game as another milestone in the growth of women’s cricket.

The ex-India captain also praised the guests for their outstanding performance and singled out the deeds that helped them achieve their unforgettable victory.

Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia, and Kranti Goud, whose performances were essential to India’s victory, all received special acclaim from Tendulkar.

“Yastika’s excellent century, Kranti’s five-wicket haul, and Smriti’s composure made this event even more special, so congratulations to the Indian team on a fantastic victory. ” He said, “The growth of women’s cricket has been spectacular, and this was another wonderful move ahead. ”

In closing, he put the outcome in the larger framework of the game’s development and stated that the Lord’s Test was yet another significant turning point for women’s cricket.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who addressed the Indian squad prior to play, witnessed the triumph. Secretary Devajit Saikia, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, and ICC Chairman Jay Shah joined him as India made sure that the first women’s Test at Lord’s in its 142-year history would be remembered for years to come.

Brief Scores:
India 285 and 341/7 dec in 86.3 overs (Yastika Bhatia 113; Sophie Ecclestone 5-118)
England 170 and 186 in 62.5 overs (Amy Jones 54, Sophie Ecclestone 50; Sneh Rana 4-42, Sayali Satghare 2-24)