London, July 13 (IANS) The one-off Test match at Lord’s Cricket Ground ended with a memorable win for the Indian women’s cricket team and was witnessed by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah in London on Monday.
Their presence at the “Home of Cricket” reflected the importance of the occasion. India delivered an outstanding all-round performance to defeat England by 270 runs, earning a famous victory at one of the world’s most iconic cricket grounds. The result is one of the biggest achievements in the team’s Test cricket journey.
The Indian women’s team produced a strong performance, bowling England out for 186 in their second innings while defending a huge target of 457. Off-spinner Sneh Rana shone with figures of 4-42, and Deepti Sharma took 2-36 as England’s resistance fell apart during the opening session on the fourth day.
Starting at 130/6, England’s hopes rested on overnight half-centurion Amy Jones. However, Sneh Rana struck early, dismissing her for 54. Deepti then took out Issy Wong and Lauren Bell. Sneh Rana then ended the match by bowling Sophie Ecclestone, who had earlier made her maiden Test half-century, with a great delivery.
This victory marked India’s seventh win in their last 11 women’s Tests and ensured they kept their unbeaten record in Test cricket on English soil.
India set the stage for this memorable win with strong batting throughout the match. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana scored 83 and 70, while Yastika Bhatia made history by becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s with a fantastic 113. Richa Ghosh contributed a quick unbeaten 50 off 52 balls, and Kranti Gaud also made headlines by claiming the first five-wicket haul in a women’s Test at this iconic venue.
The victory occurred in front of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who spoke to the Indian team before play began. He was joined by ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, and Secretary Devajit Saikia, as India ensured that the first women’s Test at Lord’s in its 142-year history would be remembered for years to come.
–IANS
bsk/
